A Change of Heart
by lighthawkdemon1
Summary: After being betrayed by the one he loves, Inu-Yasha leaves the group and teams up with Kikyo to hunt down the Shikon Jewel shards together with a new purpose in mind...to restore his old love back into a real body and to turn him human permanently.
1. A Hanyou's Discovery

**Inu-Yasha******

**A Feudal Fairy Tale**

  
_Disclaimer: This episode of Inu-Yasha is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Inu-Yasha. "Inu-Yasha" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1998-2003 Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. Inu-Yasha is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc. All rights reserved._

  
**A Change of Heart  
Scroll One:  
A Hanyou's Discovery**

  
The inu hanyou Inu-Yasha knows that something is up with Kagome..._his_ Kagome. She has been making much more frequent visits to the old well that transports her back to her own time and always changes the subject when he asks her why she has to leave so much. Inu-Yasha has never been able to follow her because each time he would, he would get 'sat' a dozen or so times to keep him away. This confused him since she'd only 'sit' him if he tried to stop her from leaving or argue for her stay, two things he never even got a chance to do.  
  
About a month ago, Kagome told everyone that she was on something called 'summer vacation' and would have three months off of her school. The hanyou was inwardly overjoyed since that meant that she would spend more time in their time...more time with him.  
  
A little over a week ago, though, she just suddenly started leaving almost every other day. Inu-Yasha was then in for a real shock when she came back yesterday. She reeked of two things that made his heart begin to plunge: sex and that no good baka ookami youkai Koga.  
  
His fears increased that night when the entire group camped out in a cozy little spot in the forest. When he was assured that everyone was asleep, he silently leaped off of the tree he was resting in and crept up to the sleeping Kagome with the little kitsune Shippô curled up into a little ball right next to her. He carefully pulled back the long collar of the thick shirt she was wearing so he could inspect her neck. He felt his blood run cold as he gazed upon the two fresh bite marks, meaning only one thing. 'He claimed her,' he thought sadly. 'He's claimed my Kagome as his mate.'  
  
______  
  
Now it is the middle of the next day and the entire group is walking along a dirt path in a large valley that is filled with forests and plains. Kagome is pushing along her bicycle with Shippô in it's basket, the taijiya Sango with her faithful neko youkai Kirara sitting on her shoulder are standing next to them with the lecherous houshi Miroku shortly behind and finally Inu-Yasha far in the back with a sullen expression on his face.  
  
It is that last fact that has Kagome, Sango and Shippô in a heavy conversation. "I don't get it Kagome," the young kitsune begins, "why is Inu-Yasha way behind us? Doesn't he usually stand in front?"  
  
"He usually does," the reincarnation of the miko Kikyo replies. "Something must be bothering him."  
  
Sango takes a quick look back at the hanyou before adding in, "But the question is: what is bugging him?" Her body stiffens as she feels an all too common hand with rosary beads around it caressing her bottom. "EEK! _HENTAI_!" she shrieks just before quickly swirling around and whacking the owner of the hand on top if the head with her hiraikotsu. She shudders lightly. "That baka will never learn."  
  
Shippô suddenly hops onto Kagome's shoulder and shouts over to Inu-Yasha. "Hey Inu-Yasha, why are you so grumpy today?"  
  
"None of your business," he spits out while picking up a swirly eyed and unconscious Miroku and hefting him over his shoulder. The houshi's hentai ways are someday going to get him killed by the now infuriated taijya. He takes the houshi's staff and uses it as a walking stick. The hanyou keeps looking at the ground while still walking forward.  
  
Kagome and Sango sigh deeply and continue to walk along the path. The taijya leans in close to her friend. "Perhaps later we can ask him...or when he's in a better mood."  
  
______  
  
Later that night, the group has camped out again in the forest, not being able to find a nearby village. Inu-Yasha, as usual, finds a tree to rest in, only this time he has hidden himself high up in the branches and leaves so he can't be seen. Around the campfire, the rest of the pack anxiously awaits for Kagome to finish making her ramen noodles. After a few minutes, it is finished and they are all happily eating, except for a certain inu hanyou who hasn't said a word to anyone besides the usual 'Feh' since this afternoon.  
  
Kagome grabs the can of ramen intended for Inu-Yasha and walks up to the tree he is in. "Inu-Yasha," she sweetly calls up to him. "Come on down and eat. It's your favorite: ramen!"  
  
"Feh," comes his annoyed reply. "I'm not hungry so leave me alone _wench_!"  
  
The young woman is too surprised at his reply to yell 'Sit!' at him for calling her a wench. 'He's never turned down ramen before,' she thinks worriedly. 'What could be bothering him so much?'  
  
Up in the tree, Inu-Yasha is sadly watching the woman he loves. 'Why Kagome?' he thinks miserably. 'Why, of all people did you have to choose him?' He wants to lash out, to do something to release all of his pent up emotions.but something deep within him is preventing him from doing so. His thoughts are suddenly distracted by a sharp stinging pain on his right cheek. He quickly slaps it and pulls his hand back, only to discover that it is the nomi youkai Myôga. "What do you want?" he huffs.  
  
"Lord Inu-Yasha, I just thought you might be interested in knowing that I have gotten word that in a nearby village to the north a local koumori youkai, which has never caused any problems before, has now grown in size and has now become a major nuisance."  
  
The hanyou turns his head and gazes at the moon. 'Damn it, the new moon will be coming tomorrow night.' His thoughts are distracted once more by the tiny old nomi, who is now hopping up and down in frustration.  
  
"Lord Inu-Yasha! Have you been listening to me at all?"  
  
"I dunno. Something about a koumori in a nearby village, why?"  
  
Myôga sits down and looks patiently up at his hanyou lord. "From what I have gathered, it is most likely that the koumori youkai is in possession of a Shikon shard!"  
  
"That's great," Inu-Yasha replies while looking very uninterested. "Why don't you go down and tell the others?"  
  
"Yes. Of course Lord Inu-Yasha," the nomi youkai replies before hopping down the tree.  
  
The inu hanyou sighs deeply, watching Kagome once more from his secluded spot in the tree. 'Why do you have to keep it such a secret from me Kagome?' he thinks bitterly. 'I probably would have at least felt a little better than I do now. That right there tells me that you don't trust me.'  
  
______  
  
Down below him, the group is listening in on the tiny youkai. "Hmm," Miroku begins while rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "that does indeed sound like the koumori youkai has a shard of the Shikon Jewel in its possession."  
  
"Yeah it does," Kagome agrees. "Well let's get a good nights rest and head for this village tomorrow after we wake up."  
  
Sango stops polishing her hiraikotsu and places it aside. "That sounds like a good plan. Alright everyone, we have a big day's travel ahead of us so lets get some sleep."  
  
______  
  
Later that night, everyone is asleep. Kagome suddenly stirs in her sleeping bag and sits up, careful to not awaken Shippô next to her. She does a quick check on her friends to make sure that they are indeed sleeping. She stands under the tree Inu-Yasha is in for several minutes, listening to his calm, steady breathing. Satisfied that she is the only one awake, she slowly makes her way out of the campsite. Just as she is leaving earshot, her skirt lightly brushes up against a bush. It is silent enough to evade human ears, but for the light sleeping hanyou with sensitive dog-ears, it quickly wakes him up.  
  
Inu-Yasha narrows his eyes as he looks down at the campsite. He instantly notices that Kagome isn't there. He silently jumps down onto the soft earth and begins to follow her scent trail. It leads him to an open clearing of beautiful flowers. Their scent, mingled with Kagome's is intoxicating. He is about to walk out and talk to the girl when he catches a familiar and very unwelcome scent. He quickly hides down in the bushes just as Koga comes sprinting into the clearing, just stopping a few feet from Kagome.  
  
Since Inu-Yasha knows that he is currently downwind, he won't be spotted by the baka ookami. He suppresses a protective growl as Koga calmly walks up to Kagome and lifts her chin up with his hands. "I missed you," he purrs out.  
  
"And I missed you too," she says just before jumping into his arms hugging him warmly.  
  
'_No_...' Inu-Yasha's mind whimpers out as he feels a wetness in his eyes and his lower lip begin to tremble.  
  
Kagome lets go and pushes back, looking concerned. "I don't think we should keep this a secret anymore. Inu-Yasha's been acting kind of funny today. I think he suspects something."  
  
"You worry too much about that inu-kkoro," the ookami replies, looking slightly sad. "You care about him more than you do me, isn't it?"  
  
"No!" the young woman replies, taking his face in her hands. "I love you and only you." She leans in and they kiss passionately.  
  
It is too much for Inu-Yasha to take. Every emotion he has managed to keep in is now screaming to be let out, and they can't be held in much longer. As quickly and silently as he can possibly manage, he leaves the clearing and runs as fast as his feet can move him. "Ka...gome," he silently cries as he runs.  
  
After several minutes, he collapses in front of a peaceful looking stream. He looks at the sky again through tear soaked eyes end begins to scream, a scream filled with deep emotional pain, anguish, sorrow and anger. Every living creature in the valley shudders under the raw power of the scream.  
  
______  
  
Kagome and Koga let go of each other and looks around, both getting shivers down their spines from the scream they are hearing. "What is that scream coming from Koga?" Kagome asks.  
  
"I don't know Kagome," the ookami youkai replies, "but if it's a youkai or something, I'll make sure to protect you from it."  
  
Kagome looks around the clearing in concern. 'But it sounds like someone is screaming in pain.'  
  
______  
  
At the makeshift campsite, it's five current occupants wake up with a start, all hearing the intense scream. They all look around in surprise, oblivious to the fact that two of their members are missing. "What's going on?" Shippô asks, cowering next to Kirara. Myôga hops onto Miroku's shoulder, anxious to see if there is a possible threat nearing them so he can make a hasty retreat.  
  
"Someone's screaming," Miroku replies. He yelps lightly as he is slapped in the back of his head.  
  
"Well of course someone is screaming you baka," Sango tartly replies while getting a firm grip on her hiraikotsu.  
  
The houshi places a hand on Sango's and calmly removes it from her weapon. "There is no need for weapons. That scream is not one of a battle cry nor of physical pain. It is a cry of deep emotional pain."  
  
"Emotional pain?" Shippô asks, looking somewhat confused.  
  
"Yes," Miroku answers. He looks up to the sky, a very worried look on his face. 'And the fact that bothers me is that the voice sounds very familiar.'  
  
______  
  
After he screams himself out, Inu-Yasha sinks to his hands and knees, his breathing deep and ragged. His claws dig into the wet earth at the base of the stream. The emotional pain Kagome has caused him has cut him deeper than any weapon or youkai could ever manage to do. For the first time since his dear mother died, he longs for death so he won't have to be alone. It just so happens that death, in a way, is currently walking up to him.  
  
Inu-Yasha's ears twitch as he hears someone or something come closer. He is now upwind so he can't smell the thing behind him so he simply sits up and turns around. The inu hanyou is only mildly surprised to see this person, who he has also thought a lot about recently. "Kikyo..."  
  


**  
To be continued...**  
  
______  
  
**Translations** (in order of appearance):  
  
_Inu_: dog  
_Hanyou_: half-demon  
_Baka_: fool  
_Ookami_: wolf  
_Youkai_: demon  
_Kitsune_: fox  
_Taijiya_: demon exterminator  
_Neko_: cat  
_Houshi_: monk  
_Miko_: priestess  
_Hentai_: pervert  
_Hiraikotsu_: boomerang bone, Sango's primary weapon that is made of the bones of youkai  
_Nomi_: flea  
_Koumori_: bat  
_Inu-kkoro_: dog-turd  
  
______  
  
**Author's notes**: I hope that this series goes off well. I'm becoming a really big Inu-Yasha fan, but there are some characters that I do not know a whole lot about, like Rin, Koga, Kagura and Kanna. I've been reading up on them so I'll try to incorporate them more in my fics later.  
  
Oh yeah, I really don't like all of you Kikyo bashers out there. I've seen the episodes and read the manga. Kikyo is one of my favorite characters and I believe that she deserves a little bit of nice publicity now and then -- _lighthawkdemon_  
  
Questions or comments? E-mail me at: **lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com**


	2. Separation

**Inu-Yasha******

**A Feudal Fairy Tale**

  
_Disclaimer: This episode of Inu-Yasha is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Inu-Yasha. "Inu-Yasha" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1998-2003 Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. Inu-Yasha is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc. All rights reserved._

  
**A Change of Heart  
Scroll Two:  
Separation**

  
"Kikyo?" the inu hanyou Inu-Yasha says once more to the miko in front of him.  
  
She stands still at being noticed, a wide array of emotions coursing through her. The former guardian of the sacred Shikon Jewel has recently been staying near the man she loved, near enough for her to sense his presence, but farther than his keen eyes, ears and nose can trace her. Her normal objective when she came to him this night when he separated himself from his usual traveling companions was as she has been trying to do ever since she was brought back to life by the kijo Urasue, to bring him down to hell with her so they can be with each other...forever.  
  
However, she never expected to hear his long scream of deep sorrow cut through the night sky like his mystical sword, the Tetsusaiga, or to see how weak and shattered he was when she came to him. Seeing him in this state changes the miko deep inside. Never once since she has known him has she ever witnessed Inu-Yasha show any kind of sorrowful emotions this extreme, ever. Upon seeing his drooping ears and tear stricken face, her heart yearns to condole the poor hanyou. "Inu-Yasha?" she mutters while slowly stepping forward.  
  
Inu-Yasha is quickly on his feet as he looks intently at the woman before him. He wipes the tears off of his face and tries to compose himself. "I...I know why you are here Kikyo," he begins, "and I want you to know that I will not fight you anymore. I am ready to join you and go to hell."  
  
The miko is, needless to say, shocked by his words. 'What has happened to him?' she thinks sadly. 'What could have hurt my Inu-Yasha so much that he now yearns for death?' Kikyo decides to find out. "Inu-Yasha, what has troubled you so? Please tell me."  
  
The inu hanyou is about to turn his head to the side and spit out a '_Feh_,' but falters. Kikyo has always had that kind of effect on him. Whenever she is near him, he wants nothing more than to wrap his arms around her protectively and take in her calm scent and never let go. Those feelings were even more powerful when it concerned Kagome...but he knows now that it will never happen. Inu-Yasha sits back down, the sorrowful expression coming back onto his face. "She doesn't care for me the way I care for her."  
  
Kikyo thinks for a moment, then questions, "You mean that girl, the one who is my reincarnation?"  
  
Inu-Yasha doesn't respond, but lowers his head so his silver bangs cover his eyes. The miko begins to walk closer to him, but pauses as she sees him tense up. "Inu-Yasha," she starts, her voice sounding calm and soothing, "you have no need to be tense around me."  
  
"Oh really?" he spits out, "Why do I even try? I always have to suffer because of the women I love." He quickly stops and shuts his mouth, now realizing that he blurted out more than he wanted to.  
  
Kikyo's eyes shimmer slightly as she leans in towards the hanyou. "You...you _loved_ me? You truly did?"  
  
Inu-Yasha turns his head so now he is gazing deep into Kikyo's bright blue- gray eyes. "Yes I did," he answers confidently. "And part of me still does, even after all the times you tried to kill me."  
  
The miko scoots a little closer. "Please tell me more."  
  
He hangs his head down in shame. "My...my mother died when I was only a pup. I loved her so dearly, she was the only human I knew that ever loved me and was never bothered by the fact that I was a half-breed. When she died, I closed myself up, vowing to never open my heart up to anyone again. That all changed when I met you," he pauses to look back into her eyes. "That day when we first began to speak with one another...I...I saw that look in your eyes. I saw that you felt as alone in the world as I did. Just as I was beginning to open my heart up to you...that bastard Naraku deceived us, causing you to seal me to that tree and then die." A single tear rolls down his face in memory.  
  
Kikyo moves next to him and wipes the tear away. "I wish that day had never occurred as well."  
  
"When Kagome released me," he continues, "I felt strange when I was around her. She looked so much like you, but was so different at the same time. Something about her changed me and I started to open up to her too. But now...now she went behind my back and is in love with that baka wimpy ookami Koga."  
  
"She is with someone else," the former guardian of the Shikon Jewel calmly states. She feels her hateful and vengeful feelings towards Inu-Yasha begin to ebb away. 'I never knew he felt this way before,' she thinks in wonder. 'He is going through such heartache.' Kikyo diverts her attention back to Inu-Yasha and is surprised to see that he is now shaking.  
  
"W...why do I have to suffer so much?" he stammers out.  
  
The miko's heart opens up even more as she reaches over and takes the hanyou's head in her hands and leans it on her right shoulder. She calmly pats his head and gently runs her fingers through his thick silver hair. "Calm down Inu-Yasha," she whispers into his sensitive dog-ears, "for I am now here. Rest now you poor thing. I will watch over you and make sure no harm comes to you."  
  
Her soothing words, mixed with her warmth and her calm scent help to calm Inu-Yasha down. His breathing becomes less ragged and rushed. Soon, he is breathing normally and has fallen asleep in Kikyo's arms. She looks down at the sleeping hanyou and smiles. The miko reaches down and pushes a few stray strands of hair off of his face and gently rubs his cheek with her thumb.  
  
Her attention is diverted by the now normal sounds of her youkai soul collectors, the Shinidamachuu, coming towards her. They are not carrying any souls since she has no need for any more right now. Kikyo called them to her to help her transport herself and Inu-Yasha. They silently glide through the air and effortlessly fly down and pick up the miko and the hanyou.  
  
After several minutes of flying upstream, they enter a small clearing that contains a rather large tree in it. This tree is where Kikyo has been sleeping while following Inu-Yasha in the valley. Where the large branches begin to expand from the base of the tree is a wide opening, large enough for two people to sit comfortably in.  
  
Kikyo's Shinidamachuu gently place her and the hanyou in her arms down in this spot. Inu-Yasha suddenly shifts in his sleep and wraps an arm protectively around the miko. She smiles once more and leans in and kisses the soft furry inside of his left ear, which twitches at her touch. Kikyo rests her head against Inu-Yasha's and closes her eyes to begin a calm slumber.  
  
______  
  
Meanwhile, not too far from the campsite where the rest of the gang is, Kagome hurriedly runs towards it. She straightens out her ruffled clothes and presses down the blotches of hair that are sticking up at odd angles. 'They'd be really suspicious if they saw me like this,' she thinks to herself. 'Inu-Yasha would probably go crazy and I'd have to 'sit' him about a dozen times.'  
  
She bursts into the campsite, causing all of her traveling companions to jump slightly. "Kagome!" Shippô happily cries out as he leaps into her arms. "Where were you Kagome? We were all getting really worried about you."  
  
"I...I went to wash up," she quickly lies. "I felt kinda dirty from traveling all day and I just wanted to feel all nice and clean. Say, why are all of you up so late?" She looks around and notices that someone is missing. "Hey, where's Inu-Yasha?"  
  
"You mean my Lord was not with you?" Myôga questions while hopping onto her shoulder.  
  
"No he wasn't," Kagome truthfully responds. "He was still sleeping up in that tree when I left."  
  
Miroku steps forward. "Now this has me concerned. I have reason to believe that it was Inu-Yasha who was shouting just a short while ago."  
  
"You mean you heard that too?" Kagome asks, now feeling very worried about a certain inu hanyou.  
  
"Yeah," Shippô answers while shivering in the girl's arms. "It woke all of us up. Kagome, do you think something bad happened to Inu-Yasha?" he asks, his blue eyes wide in concern.  
  
"I...I don't know."  
  
Sango reaches over and easily hoists her hiraikotsu onto her back while Kirara transforms into her large fire neko form. "Well we need to find out," she states, now looking fully determined. "Kagome, come with me and Kirara. We'll take a quick sweep over the valley and see if we can find Inu- Yasha. Miroku, you stay here with Shippô and Myôga in case he returns here. Okay?"  
  
"Of course Lady Sango," Miroku states while walking up to the taijiya and grabbing both of her hands. A small vein forms on her forehead. "And I will be praying for your safe return."  
  
Sango sighs deeply and shifts her position on top of Kirara so she can stop the expected roaming hand to find it's way to her bottom, but it doesn't come. Confused, she looks into the houshi's eyes. She is surprised to see the serious glance he is giving her. She has only seen him look like this when either Naraku or his Kazaana are on his mind. "O...okay houshi-sama," she stammers out. The neko youkai is soon off flying in search of Inu-Yasha with it's two passengers on it's back.  
  
______  
  
Inu-Yasha is silently running through the forest, a smug smile on his face and the sacred Shikon Jewel, which will turn him into a full youkai, grasped firmly in his right hand. The sound of an arrow coming towards him from his left causes him to turn just in time to see the arrow pierce his heart and pin him to the old tree in the heart of the forest.  
  
He looks up, expecting to see Kikyo holding the bow as she usually is, but is completely taken back as Kagome walks up to him. A strange sneer that doesn't fit her appears on her lips. She tears the Shikon Jewel from his right hand. "You could never satisfy me you pathetic half-breed mutt," she spits out. Koga then appears behind her and wraps his arms around her waist. Kagome's sneer turns into a joyous smile as she places her hands over the ookami's. "Only a full-blooded _youkai_ can fulfill my needs. Right darling?"  
  
"Of course my beautiful mate," Koga replies before leaning over and kissing her passionately on the lips.  
  
Just before the enchantment spell takes effect, forcing the hanyou into a deep sleep like state, he cries out, "Kagome..."  
  
After what felt like an eternity, Inu-Yasha feels his body finally begin to awaken. He opens his eyes and takes a look around. He is still trapped to the tree and from the looks of things, many years have passed by. The forest all around him has grown larger and thicker. Large vines have grown up the tree and wrapped around him. His ears twitch at the sounds of soft footsteps coming towards him. He looks straight ahead just as a figure emerges from in between the trees and foliage.  
  
His eyes go wide as Kikyo slowly walks towards him, wearing her usual miko attire. She keeps walking until she is right in front of him. The hanyou is too stunned for words. Kikyo smiles and Inu-Yasha instantly notices that the smile is totally unlike her usual smiles. This smile is full of life and happiness and a little bit of innocence, the kind of smile that Kagome normally has.  
  
The miko reaches up and grabs the arrow imbedded in his heart. In a flash, it vanishes and Inu-Yasha is free. He easily rips the vines covering him off and lands gracefully on the ground. Kikyo places both of her hands on each side of his face, her touch warm and gentle. "Inu-Yasha," she begins, "we cannot change the past, so let's try to make a better future for each other." She raises her self and kisses the hanyou on the lips. He wraps his arms around her as he returns it.  
  
______  
  
Inu-Yasha awakens with a start. It takes him a moment to register where he is. He is now in a part of the valley that he hasn't been to yet. The hanyou suddenly feels the warm body pressed up next to him and realizes that he is not alone. He manages to move his head slightly and gazes into the calm sleeping face of Kikyo. It takes his mind a few moments to register the most recent events that he has experienced.  
  
His lower lip trembles slightly as he remembers Kagome sneaking off to be with Koga. He then remembers running off and then Kikyo appearing and then...she was being very kind and gentle to him. She didn't try to bring him down to hell with her or anything. 'Maybe there is some hope left for us,' he thinks with a small smile. Inu-Yasha snuggles closer to Kikyo and closes his eyes. 'The sun will be up soon, but I just want to stay in her arms for just a little while longer.'  
  
______  
  
Sango and Kagome have been traveling on Kirara's back for over an hour and a half now and both of them are beginning to feel very tired. They have already done a quick run around most of the valley and have only a few more areas to check before they stop and go back to their other companions. As they are nearing one of the areas, Kagome gets a sudden strange feeling deep inside of her. "Sango," she starts, "I'm getting a kinda funny feeling."  
  
"What do you mean Kagome?" the taijiya asks.  
  
"I don't know, but it's getting stronger and it seems to be coming from over there," she replies while pointing a little off to the right. "I think we should check it out."  
  
Sango nods and her faithful neko youkai turns towards the direction Kagome is pointing to. A couple of minutes later, they notice a very large tree in a small clearing. Just visible through all the branches and leaves is blood red clothing.  
  
"Inu-Yasha!" both young women say at the same time as Kirara lowers herself down onto the ground a few yards from the tree. She transforms back into her smaller form and jumps onto her master's shoulder. They sprint towards the tree, but freeze as it comes into full view. There, in a large crook in the tree, sleeps the inu hanyou they have been searching for...but he is not alone. Inu-Yasha is leaning onto the revived miko Kikyo and both have their arms wrapped around each other. They both also have calm and serene looks on their faces.  
  
Kagome feels a deep pang of both sorrow and jealousy, though she and Kouga are now mates, as she takes a small step forward and whispers out, "Inu-Yasha..."  
  


  
**To be continued...**  
  
______  
  
**Translations** (in order of appearance):  
  
_Kijo_: ogress  
_Tetsusaiga_: Steel-Cleaving Fang, the sword Inu-Yasha inherited from his father. Has the ability of the 'Wind Scar' that can destroy a hundred youkai with one swing  
_Kazaana_: Wind Tunnel, the black hole void in Miroku's right hand  
_-sama_: this added on the back of a name or title and is meant as a sign of respect. (note: I will only use it in junction with Japanese words)  
_Shinidamachuu_: Kikyo's youkai soul collectors (those strange flying snake looking things that get Kikyo her souls)  
  
______  
  
**Author's notes**: I like Kikyo, those of you who say she is evil or a bitch or a slut or all three is wrong. Sorry if you don't feel that way -- _lighthawkdemon_  
  
Questions or comments? E-mail me at: **lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com**


	3. The New Quest

**Inu-Yasha**

**A Feudal Fairy Tale**

  
_Disclaimer: This episode of Inu-Yasha is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Inu-Yasha. "Inu-Yasha" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1998-2003 Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. Inu-Yasha is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc. All rights reserved._

  
**A Change of Heart  
Scroll Three:  
The New Quest**

  
Kagome and Sango stare in shock at Inu-Yasha, who they just found sleeping in a tree with Kikyo. Both have their arms wrapped around each other and look very calm and content. The taijiya and her faithful neko youkai Kirara turn to Kagome, who is now walking backwards and looking hurt.  
  
'Why am I feeling so bad?' the reincarnation of Kikyo thinks to herself. 'I mean, Koga and I are mates. Inu-Yasha did have his chance to be with me in the past, but he never took it. I'm sorta glad that he's found somebody so when I tell him everything he won't feel so bad, but why does it hurt so much?'  
  
Suddenly, a separate voice in her head responds, 'You still love him. You tried to get him to love you back, but he was too stubborn and too much of a baka to notice.'  
  
'No, that's not right,' she shoots back. 'I love Koga now. I'm his mate.'  
  
'You're a fool,' the other voice chuckles. 'That is a lie and you know it. Inu-Yasha knows what is going on with you and the ookami. It was he who was screaming earlier and you know it.'  
  
Kagome sinks to her knees. "No...it...it can't be..." she whispers out.  
  
Sango places a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Kagome...are you okay?"  
  
"No, I'm not okay." She stands up and turns around, tears stinging her radiant blue-gray eyes. "Come on," she beckons to Sango and Kirara, "let's go back to the camp and tell everyone we found Inu-Yasha."  
  
"But what about Inu-Yasha?" the taijiya questions. "What do we do about him?"  
  
"Leave him alone," she responds in an emotionless voice. "He'll come back if he wants to." And with that the three leave Inu-Yasha and Kikyo alone in the tree, alone with each other.  
  
______  
  
The inu hanyou begins to stir in the miko's arms due to the now rising sun directly in his eyes. He leans his face into her neck and inhales deeply, ignoring the small of grave soil and relishes in Kikyo's calm, alluring scent. He discards all of the bad memories of the two of them in the past and focuses all on the good ones, including last night where she comforted him in a great time of need. He mutters a quick, "Kikyo," before planting a kiss on her neck.  
  
The miko moans lightly and pulls Inu-Yasha closer onto her. She begins to giggle as the hanyou moves to her ear and begins to kiss there. "Stop Inu-Yasha, I am ticklish there."  
  
He lets out a deep throaty chuckle before moving back down to the woman's neck. Kikyo raises a hand up on top of his head and rubs his right ear, causing Inu-Yasha to purr loudly while kissing her neck. She smiles in remembrance of the times she used to massage his ears for him when she was in her real body.  
  
That last thought brings a frown to her face despite the pleasurable feelings she is getting from Inu-Yasha's lips on her neck. 'When I was in my real body,' she thinks again. The miko moves her right hand off of the hanyou and looks at it. 'This body, this shamble of dirt and bone, how much longer will it last? What will become of it and me if I ever run out of souls to reenergize upon?' She then notices that her skin is paler than usual and she is suddenly feeling weak. She needs more souls and she needs them now.  
  
The miko summons her Shinidamachuu and they are immediately flying gracefully around the tree both she and Inu-Yasha are in, all holding the soul of a deceased young woman. The hanyou hears and smells the youkai come in and looks up in surprise. Kikyo nods at him and he hops off of the tree, but still holding the hilt of his legendary steel-cleaving fang, the Tetsusaiga, in case something goes wrong.  
  
The Shinidamachuu let go of the souls that they are carrying and they float around Kikyo for a few seconds before going inside of her, regenerating her power and life. After she is fully regenerated, the miko leaps off of the tree she and Inu-Yasha slept in and lands gracefully on her feet on the soft earth. The first thing she notices is the hanyou she loves, who is walking a few feet in front of her and sniffing the air. "What is it Inu- Yasha?"  
  
"Kagome was here," he responds, his dog-ears drooping slightly in memory of what he witnessed last night. "So were Sango and Kirara."  
  
"So they now know that we were with one another last night. Will you go back to them?" she asks, her eyes betraying her and looking sorrowful.  
  
Inu-Yasha sighs deeply. "Not right now. I...I just need some time away from them...from her," he finishes in a whisper.  
  
Kikyo hears however and leans in for a warm hug. "There is no need to feel depressed now Inu-Yasha, for I am now here with you."  
  
The hanyou returns the hug, glad that she is with him. "So...what do we do now?"  
  
"There is one thing that I now desire," Kikyo starts.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I...I wish to have my body, my old body of flesh and blood back. I grow tired of this shamble of a body made from dirt and bone and from stealing the souls of young maidens and using them so I may stay here on this plane of existence. I want to be alive and have a full soul of my own."  
  
Inu-Yasha takes one of Kikyo's hands and places it over his heart. "I'd like nothing more than to help you with that, but how can we do it?"  
  
The miko leans back and gazes deep into the hanyou's golden eyes. "We can accomplish this task with the Shikon Jewel." Inu-Yasha's eyes go wide. "If we can gather all the shards and make the jewel become whole again, you could wish for me to have my old body back and a soul of my own. However," she adds, looking hesitant, "by making such a wish, the sacred jewel would become purified and disappear. I would not be able to wish for you to become human."  
  
"That's alright Kikyo," he responds. "Besides, I think it would be better if I stayed a hanyou anyway. I have a lot of very powerful enemies and if I were a full human, I wouldn't be able to protect you as well. My Tetsusaiga would be useless. I've lost you once before...I...I don't think I could ever bear to again."  
  
"Oh Inu-Yasha," Kikyo starts, her eyes shining with unshed tears. She leans up and kisses the hanyou full on the lips. He is startled at first, but quickly returns the kiss hungrily. Two former lovers have finally reunited their hearts.  
  
______  
  
Kagome, Sango and Kirara have just returned to their campsite. Everyone is very tired from being up most of the night. Myôga has done his famous disappearing act for the moment. It seems that he feels even more uneasy if his Lord Inu-Yasha is nowhere around. "So, have you found our dear Inu-Yasha?" Miroku asks.  
  
Kagome quickly finds a seat a little ways off from the group, making sure to face away from them. The houshi and kitsune watch her, astonished. "We found him," Sango meekly replies.  
  
Shippô hops onto Miroku's shoulder. "So? Where is he? I don't see him or smell him nearby. Didn't he follow you guys back here?"  
  
"I...I'm not too sure when he's coming back," the taijiya says, looking downcast.  
  
Miroku walks up to her, while still eyeing Kagome suspiciously. "What is going on?" he questions in a low voice so Kagome doesn't hear him. "What do you mean you do not know when Inu-Yasha will be coming back? Did something happen that we should know about?"  
  
"Let's talk about it after we've had something to eat."  
  
"Yeah!" Shippô loudly adds in. "Its morning and I'm really hungry!"  
  
______  
  
Kagome sits nearby, brooding in her thoughts. 'Do I really still love Inu- Yasha?' she questions herself.  
  
'Yes,' comes a simple reply from another part of her mind.  
  
She stops for a moment and thinks about another question. 'Do I love Inu- Yasha more than Koga?'  
  
Once again, the other voice speaks up. 'Did you really love that ookami in the first place?'  
  
'What's that supposed to mean?' she tartly shoots back.  
  
'Think about it...' the voice responds before disappearing.  
  
The reincarnation of the miko Kikyo sighs deeply inwardly. 'What am I going to do?' she asks herself. She waits for a reply, but one doesn't come. 'I must have done this to Inu-Yasha,' she thinks darkly. 'That voice was right. He...he saw me going behind his back, going to Koga. That was him screaming, I'd recognize his voice anywhere.' Tears begin to fall from her brilliant blue-gray eyes. 'Oh Inu-Yasha, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you so much. I didn't mean to push you into Kikyo's arms.'  
  
She suddenly looks up, her face a mingle of shock and horror. 'Oh no, _Kikyo_! What if she tries to do something to him? What if...what if she tries to bring him down to hell with her? Inu-Yasha needs my help!'  
  
Kagome quickly gets to her feet, surprising the rest of the group a short distance away, who were quietly discussing how to cook Kagome's ramen noodles. She grabs her bow and arrows and sprints off to where she last saw Inu-Yasha.  
  
"Kagome!" everyone else shouts as they hurriedly grab all of their things and quickly follow the young woman. After several minutes of ducking and dodging through the thick forest, they all finally enter the clearing with the large tree in which Kagome and Sango found Inu-Yasha, but to her dismay, there is no sign of the hanyou or of Kikyo.  
  
Kagome sinks to her knees, muttering, "Am I too late? Did she...did she already drag Inu-Yasha down to hell?"  
  
Shippô walks around the clearing, sniffing around and catching the occasional scent here and there. He suddenly stops in his tracks as his fluffy tail perks up slightly. "Inu-Yasha was definitely here," he proudly proclaims. He takes in another big whiff of air. His eyes go wide with concern as he looks over to Kagome. "Um...so was...Kikyo."  
  
"Kikyo?" Miroku questions. He directs his gaze over to the lovely taijiya. "Tell me Sango, did you and Kagome find Inu-Yasha and Kikyo together here? Is that why Kagome is looking so depressed?"  
  
Sango is about to answer when the little kitsune runs towards the edge of the clearing. "Yep," he says out loud, "Their scent is everywhere, but I can tell that they went north. Their scent is much stronger over here."  
  
Kagome looks up, a feeling of hope beginning to dawn in her heart. "So...Inu-Yasha's still alive?" As another thought occurs to her, her heart begins to plunge once more. 'But he's now traveling with Kikyo,' she thinks sadly.  
  
"Well," Miroku begins, starting to walk off to the north, "we were planning on going north anyways to inspect that village and the bat youkai. Perhaps we will run into Inu-Yasha on our journey there." He pauses for a moment to look at all the sad faces all around him. The hanyou was an integral part of the group and it just doesn't feel the same without him. The houshi sighs deeply. 'Inu-Yasha you baka,' he thinks to himself, 'you had better return to us soon so I can whack you over your thick head with my staff for upsetting everyone else so."  
  
______  
  
Kikyo holds on as Inu-Yasha carries her on his back while leaping on top of the trees. She leans back and allows the wind to blow freely through her long dark hair. The miko can't remember when she has ever felt so...free. While riding on her youkai soul collectors, they move slowly yet gracefully. Inu-Yasha's movements are so fast, wild, untamed and so incredible to go through. She regrets not having ridden on him before, for it is such a joyous experience.  
  
Suddenly, they enter a large clearing where the village they were looking for is. The hanyou lands with great ease and kneels down so Kikyo can remove herself from his back. She gets off and rubs one of his dog ears gently, eliciting a slight purr to escape him. Kikyo smiles lightly and begins to walk towards the village. "Good morning," she says to one of the villagers. "I have heard rumors that a local koumori youkai has suddenly become quite a nuisance as of late..."  
  
______  
  
It is now around noon and the odd assortment of humans and youkai decides to take a small break for some lunch. Miroku and Shippô go hunting for some good firewood as the two young women dig through Kagome's abnormally large yellow backpack for some bags of chips and some drinks and a few bowels of ramen noodles. Kagome pulls out a few extra bowels for Inu-Yasha, but she suddenly remembers that he isn't with them at the moment, so she places them back in her pack, all the while looking depressed.  
  
Sango notices and places a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "Don't worry Kagome, I'm sure Inu-Yasha will come back soon. You know he doesn't like to leave you alone for too long."  
  
The reincarnation of the miko Kikyo sighs sadly. "But that's just it Sango. Inu-Yasha found out that I'm not really alone so he ran off."  
  
The taijiya stares blankly at her friend. "What are you talking about? What do you mean you're not really alone?"  
  
Kagome is about to respond, but a deep voice from behind her does. "What she meant was I, her mate, will always be around her to keep her from harm."  
  
Sango's eyes widen as the tall ookami youkai emerges from the bushes. "_Koga_!?"  
  
______  
  
It is now a short while before nightfall and Inu-Yasha and Kikyo have disposed of the annoying koumori youkai. The youkai itself wasn't that difficult to defeat, it was the fact that it's entire family of hundreds inside the cave in which it dwelled didn't go too well with the fact that a hanyou and a miko destroyed their leader.  
  
So a few hours, and many, many koumori youkai corpses later, the duo have taken hold of the Shikon Jewel shard. For Inu-Yasha, it was a strange experience fighting alongside Kikyo. Her skills with the bow are unmatched. She nearly took out as much youkai as Inu-Yasha did with the Tetsusaiga. Though Kagome's miko powers do seem to be more powerful than Kikyo's, it still will take her some time to gain the control and precision that Kikyo has.  
  
By the time they make it back to the village, the sun has nearly set. Inu- Yasha's eyes narrow in remembrance. He jumps over to one of the village elders. "Hey you," he begins, "since we took care of that koumori youkai for you, can we have a place to stay in for the night?"  
  
Kikyo shoots the hanyou a curious glance, but doesn't say anything. For disposing of their long time nuisance, the villagers happily offer room and board for the two of them. Inu-Yasha quickly gets into the room and starts a fire. After that is complete, he backs off and resumes his normal sulking position.  
  
"Inu-Yasha," the miko starts, "why are you acting so odd all of a sudden? I thought that you would be happy that we were able to get a shard of the sacred Shikon Jewel."  
  
"Just wait a little bit and you'll see why I'm not in such a good mood," comes his reply.  
  
So Kikyo sits down across from the hanyou and waits patiently. After a few minutes, the sun's last few rays are disappearing below the horizon. Just as it completely leaves, Kikyo's eyes go wide as Inu-Yasha begins to transform before her very eyes. His pointy dog-ears seemingly melt down the sides of his head and turn into normal human ears. His claws and fangs shrink into normal size. His golden eyes darken until they are now a deep violet shade. Last, but certainly not least, his long silver hair all shimmers for a moment before changing colors to midnight black.  
  
The miko places a hand on her now rapidly beating heart. The hanyou she fell in love with over fifty years ago has just turned into a human. "Inu-Yasha?"  
  


  
**To be continued...**  
  
______  
  
**Translations** (in order of appearance):  
  
No new translations ~ sorry, I don't know a whole lot of Japanese words!  
  
______  
  
**Author's notes**: Things are beginning to pick up. I've always wanted to show more of Kikyo's warmer kind-hearted side. It usually seems that Inu-Yasha brings it out of her. Also, since I figured that the hanyou never fully trusted Kikyo before Naraku deceived them, he probably never showed her his transformation on the new moon. Needless to say, she is quite surprised.  
  
Oh yeah, I just noticed that I got sent the same review like five times. The same thing happened for my 'The Darkness Within' Tenchi series but the person had the same review down over a hundred times! Though it does make my number of reviews look nice and bigger, I'd rather have it done by the traditional, honest way. Call me old fashioned.  
  
Also, I am a little disappointed in the television series. It likes to portray Kikyo as being more evil and such than the manga. I like Kikyo, stop making her so bad! -- _lighthawkdemon_  
  
Questions or comments? E-mail me at: **lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com**


	4. New Moon

**Inu-Yasha******

**A Feudal Fairy Tale**

  
_Disclaimer: This episode of Inu-Yasha is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Inu-Yasha. "Inu-Yasha" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1998-2003 Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. Inu-Yasha is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc. All rights reserved._

  
**A Change of Heart  
Scroll Four:  
New Moon**

  
Kikyo stares wide eyed at Inu-Yasha, who just changed into a human, this being the night of the new moon and all. "Inu-Yasha," the miko gasps out, "you...you are _human_?"  
  
"Only on the night of the new moon," the hanyou sighs. He can see the questioning look in her eyes and decides to tell her. "Since I'm a hanyou, there are times when all of my youkai blood leaves me and I become human. This always happens on the night of the new moon."  
  
The miko moves a little closer, inspecting the newly transformed Inu-Yasha. "If this has happened to you all of your life, then why did you not ever tell me about it when I was truly alive?" she asks, looking slightly hurt.  
  
"For a while, I...I didn't fully trust you with knowing about my secret. I never fully trusted anybody, that was how I had lived up to then. But by the time when I actually began to trust you...when I began to really love you, you were going to change me into a full human anyway so I figured that you didn't need to know." He looks up at her, his deep violet eyes searching her blue-gray ones. "Tell me Kikyo, do you...do you still wish to take me down to hell?"  
  
The former guardian of the Shikon Jewel is taken back by the hanyou's question. She herself doesn't truly know the answer. "I...I am unsure as to that Inu-Yasha. It is true that a small part of me still desires to die with you and bring our souls to hell so we can be together, but I also desire more so to stay here with you. I am having an inner conflict of sorts, but I can feel the small piece of soul that is still mine wanting to be with you, here and now. While my soul does admit to the fact that it was not you who deceived me but Onigumo, who then became the hanyou Naraku, it was still stuck on the spot it was on when I died." The miko reaches over and places a hand gently on Inu-Yasha's cheek. "But I have gone through some changes since then and my true desire now is to have my old body back with a full soul of my own and to live out the rest of my life with you."  
  
Inu-Yasha smiles warmly. "I am glad that you feel that way now Kikyo."  
  
The miko returns the smile. "You need not ever worry about me trying such a thing ever again Inu-Yasha." With her hands, she begins to examine his now human body. She runs a hand through his thick, black hair, marveling at how soft it is and how easily her hands run through it. "So this is what your appearance would be if you were a human," she mutters aloud. Kikyo touches his human ears lightly, then moves down to his arm and looks at his normal fingernails. She directs her gaze back up to his eyes and stares deep into a sea of deep violet. She feels herself getting lost in his penetrating gaze.  
  
"Do you...like this human body Kikyo?" the hanyou asks.  
  
Kikyo breaks away from his amazing eyes. "It is very nice, though it is a pity that I can only see it only one night a month." She leans in a bit. "I do wonder though," she starts while still leaning in closer, "if your lips still taste as sweet." She then leans in the rest of the way and kisses Inu-Yasha full on the lips.  
  
The hanyou reaches over and places a hand on the miko's waist and pulls her in closer. Without his hanyou abilities, he now cannot smell the grave soil that is a normal part of her scent. Now to him she seems to be fully human, just like he is now. 'This is...how it's supposed to be,' he thinks to himself. 'This is how it was always meant to be.'  
  
______  
  
Meanwhile, a few miles from the town Inu-Yasha and Kikyo are resting up in, Kagome and the others, plus Koga, are sitting around a campfire while waiting for the food, something Kagome calls 'popcorn' to finish cooking. It took a few hours, but the group is finally getting used to the fact that Koga and Kagome are mates and that the ookami is now joining them on their hunt for Shikon Jewel shards and to kill the villainous Naraku.  
  
"So how much longer is this food gonna take Kagome?" Shippô questions, staring impatiently at the strange round, metallic thing that she's shaking back and forth over the fire. Suddenly, one of the kernels pops, causing everyone except for Kagome to jump back in surprise.  
  
"Don't worry," the girl from the future giggles, "it's supposed to do that." Soon, all of the kernels begin to pop and the foil bag slowly rises, much to almost everyone's amazement. A very nice smell surrounds them as the bag gets bigger and bigger. After it is finished, Kagome pulls it away from the fire and places it next to her, careful as to not get too close and accidentally burn herself.  
  
She reaches inside of her enormous yellow backpack and pulls out a couple of small packets of butter, like you'd find in a present day restaurant, and salt. She tears open the foil top and dumps the butter onto the popcorn and lets it melt in while she sprinkles a little bit of salt over it. 'I'm glad I let mom put those in,' she thinks to herself. Kagome lets out a satisfied smile as she finishes. "Okay, it's done! Who wants to try some?"  
  
Koga, who is right next to her, shrugs his shoulders and reaches in and pulls out a piece. He sniffs it lightly, and instantly likes its scent. The youkai puts it in his mouth and his blue eyes light up as he tastes it. "Hey, this is really good!"  
  
Soon, almost everybody around the fire is enjoying another of Kagome's food from the future. Kagome, on the other hand, looks up worriedly at the moonless sky. 'Please Inu-Yasha,' she thinks to herself, 'please be alright.'  
  
______  
  
The next morning, the sun begins to rise and spreads its life giving light throughout the land. In a small room, a sleeping couple rests in each other's arms. Inu-Yasha is lying on his back and Kikyo is partially lying on top of him. They are using his red outer haori as a blanket and it is large enough to cover both of them.  
  
As the sunlight pours through one of the windows, Kikyo begins to wake up. The first thing she realizes is that she is lying on top of something very warm. She opens her eyes and gazes happily at Inu-Yasha. He has transformed back into his hanyou form. She places her hands on his chest to push herself up, but pauses as she feels his muscles through his white inner haori.  
  
Without thinking, she pulls his inner haori open a bit and examines his finely toned chest. As her fingers lay on his bare skin, he takes a sharp intake of breath, though he doesn't wake up. The miko suddenly feels embarrassed that she is touching him in such a way and invading his personal space without his consent, but the woman inside of her is curious and wants to go further, not ever having gotten so close to a male before.  
  
Kikyo pulls the haori open even more and gazes admirably at Inu-Yasha's chest, noting that he does seem to have a bit more maturing to do. His shoulders still need to broaden out a bit more and his beautiful face still has a little more filling in to do. Her chest tightens as she thinks of how he will appear when he fully matures. 'He will be...so handsome and yet so beautiful at the same time,' she thinks with a smile.  
  
The former guardian of the sacred Shikon Jewel begins to rub her hands up and down Inu-Yasha's chest, relishing in the feel of every muscle her fingers touch. The inu hanyou below her is now breathing deeply with the pleasurable feelings Kikyo is giving him by rubbing his chest. He actually woke up a few minutes ago, but is thoroughly enjoying her touching him like this so he is trying to keep looking as if he is still sleeping.  
  
Kikyo now pulls the haori off of his arms, now leaving him without clothing from the waist up. She begins to rub his arms and feels the muscles there, remembering each and every time he would embrace her and how she would feel them through his clothing.  
  
Deep inside of her, the miko feels her primal urges and desires surface and tell her, no, beg her to go further. She has never felt urges this strong before and it both confuses and frightens her. She does indeed wish to continue, but knows that it does not quite feel right and it is not the right time for her yet. Reluctantly, she removes her hands from Inu-Yasha's well-trimmed figure and lies back down on top of him. She drapes one arm across his chest while the other reaches up and combs through his thick silver hair.  
  
"I wish you didn't stop," the hanyou says, startling Kikyo. "That felt really good and I was really enjoying it." He opens his golden eyes and smirks at her.  
  
"You were...awake the _entire_ time?" she questions, feeling her face heat up.  
  
"Yes," he replies, all the while not breaking his gaze with hers. He suddenly begins to sit up slowly to allow Kikyo to back off of him. He grabs his white inner haori and puts it on, noting the slightly upset look in the miko's eyes. He then grabs his red outer haori and puts that on as well. After he puts on all of his clothes, the hanyou grabs his mystical sword, the Tetsusaiga, and makes sure that the sheath it properly fastened to his side. "Let's get something to eat. After we're done, we'll go out and search for some more jewel shards."  
  
Kikyo stands up next to him. "Would it be alright if I were to wash up first? It was been a while since I have done so."  
  
"Um...okay," Inu-Yasha says while scratching the back of his head. "I remember seeing a hot spring a little to the south while I was carrying you here."  
  
"Good, then let us go there." The miko looks around and grabs a thick towel like cloth before climbing onto the inu hanyou's back.  
  
He jumps away and within a few minutes, they reach the hot spring. "Inu-Yasha," Kikyo begins, "would you be so kind as to stay near? I rarely leave myself in such an unguarded position and I would feel much safer if I knew that you were nearby."  
  
Inu-Yasha feels his face flush up but he nods all the same. He turns around and walks away a little bit, sitting behind a tree that blocks his view of the hot spring and Kikyo. His entire body suddenly tenses up as he hears her begin to undress. As soon as he hears her last piece of clothing fall to the ground, he hears the soft splash of her feet in the water with each step she takes deeper into the very warm water.  
  
Sweat forms on his brow as he hears Kikyo moan lightly as she lowers herself into the hot spring. Soon, the only sound he hears is the occasional splash of water as the woman moves around. The hanyou feels his youkai urges inside of him scream for him to leap into the hot spring and take Kikyo as his. He has never felt his urges so powerful before, not even around Kagome. Then again, he has never seen Kikyo nude before and he would really like to. In fact, he hasn't seen Kikyo outside of any type of clothing besides her miko attire, which makes him want to see her without them on even more. Kagome always walks around in her revealing clothing and since he would accidentally walk in on her bathing from time to time, he has had a good view of her slim form. His curiosity and primal urges for Kikyo are killing him.  
  
Meanwhile in the very warm and soothing water, Kikyo has finished washing up her body and decides that it is time to get up. A devious idea pops into her head and she smiles slyly at the thought of getting a little mild revenge on Inu-Yasha for earlier. "Oh Inu-Yasha," she calls. "I am finished now."  
  
The hanyou stands up and begins to walk towards her, but instantly turns around at noticing that she is still sitting in the hot spring. "I thought you said that you're done," he replies, his voice squeaking at a couple of points.  
  
The miko's smile widens. "I am, but my hair is very wet and I wish for you to dry it for me." She nearly laughs at seeing his entire body tense up very tightly. "Inu-Yasha, please turn around. It will be very difficult for you to dry my hair if you are not facing me."  
  
Inu-Yasha does so, and immediately feels like he is going to faint from shock. Kikyo has just stood up out of the water, giving him his first ever view of her nude form. His gold eyes soak in every little detail, despite himself. He notices every drop of water as it cascades down her perfect, trim figure with her long slender legs, narrow hips and every luscious curve. He knows that Kikyo is a few years older than Kagome and that, from the looks of things regarding Kagome is Kikyo's reincarnation, Kagome still has a little more growing to do. When he realizes what he is thinking, he blushes a deep crimson.  
  
Kikyo smiles even more at seeing his face go as red as his outer haori. She slowly walks up to him and turns around when she is just about a foot from his body. She shivers slightly both because of the cool air that is nipping at her bare skin and because she is feeling a strange rush at being completely exposed in front of Inu-Yasha like this. Never before has she exposed herself to anyone and she is feeling oddly nervous and enticed. It seems like a little bit of her revenge is playing back onto her.  
  
The hanyou notices her shivering and quickly grabs the towel like cloth and begins to carefully and gently dry the miko's hair. He feels his urges scream at him to take her on the spot, but he amazingly keeps his cool and continues to dry Kikyo's long raven hair.  
  
When he finishes, he then wraps the towel around her body so she doesn't get any colder. "Thank you Inu-Yasha, you did an admirable job."  
  
He takes this as his cue and walks away so she can put her clothes back on. When he is hidden from view by some trees and bushes, he sighs deeply. "I don't think I could've taken any more of that." He suddenly notices a very small creature hop onto his nose and bite it, sucking up some blood. He slaps his nose, flattening the creature. "Myôga you old nomi," Inu-Yasha begins, "what are you doing here?"  
  
The tiny youkai pops back into his normal, non-flattened self and jumps onto the hanyou's shoulder. "After you disappeared last night, I went searching for you. I must say Lord Inu-Yasha, I am quite surprised to see you here with the miko Lady Kikyo."  
  
"Yeah, well a lot of things have changed in the last couple of days," Inu- Yasha huffs out, closing his eyes and turning his head to the side.  
  
"Lord Inu-Yasha, may I ask why you left us so suddenly? Lady Kagome has been most worried about your whereabouts." At the mention of Kagome's name, the hanyou's eyes shoot open and the old youkai notices a brief flash of pain go through them. The nomi may be old, but he is not naïve. "Did she do something to hurt you? I thought you two both cared deeply for each other?"  
  
Inu-Yasha sighs deeply. "Apparently she doesn't care for me as much as I cared for her."  
  
"Oh my," comes Myôga's short reply.  
  
The inu hanyou stares intently at the small 'servant' on his shoulder. "Tell me Myôga, are you going to stay with me or are you going to travel with Kagome and the others?"  
  
"I will always follow you Lord Inu-Yasha," the nomi says proudly. "But tell me, are you not worried about the others? Without you around, it will be much more dangerous for them to hunt down shards of the sacred Shikon Jewel."  
  
Inu-Yasha looks up at the bright blue, cloudless sky. "Don't worry about them, they'll be fine." He sighs inwardly and adds to himself, 'They've got Koga now.'  
  
______  
  
Kagome and the rest of the group have just eaten and are now traveling to the north, where the old nomi Myôga told them of a village pestered by a koumori youkai that is rumored to have in its possession a shard of the Shikon Jewel. It is still quite strange for the group to see Kouga leading the way instead of Inu-Yasha. The houshi, taijiya and little kitsune all knew that the inu hanyou cared deeply for Kagome, and most likely loved her as well. All three of them suspect that Inu-Yasha found out about Kagome and Koga's secret relationship and is probably why he ran off, most likely heartbroken.  
  
Miroku thinks to earlier when he was upset at Inu-yasha for disappearing all of a sudden. Now he feels remorse for the hanyou. 'I would most definitely do the same if a similar occurrence were to happen to my beloved Sango,' he thinks while gazing somberly at the lovely taijiya. The houshi would like nothing more than to take her in his arms and tell her everything he feels for her, but there is one thing that is holding him back from doing so, his curse.  
  
He looks down at his cursed right hand, where beneath the purple holy cloth and rosary beads lies the Kazaana, a void that sucks in anything and everything around it. He knows that like his father and grandfather before him, he will eventually be sucked into the endless void himself if Naraku is not destroyed. A bit of bitterness and hatred spread across his eyes as he gazes at his right hand.  
  
'Naraku,' Miroku thinks darkly, 'one day I will see to it that you are destroyed and all of the innocent lives your evil has corrupted and destroyed will be avenged. Until then, I cannot reveal my true feeling to Sango. I do not wish for her to watch helplessly as I perish some day in the future because of my cursed right hand. I will not make her suffer such heartache.'  
  
A few steps ahead of him, Sango turns around slightly to look at the man she secretly harbors strong feelings for. She does not know exactly when it happened, but the houshi somehow dug his way into her heart and has held a firm grip on it for quite some time. She only wishes that he would stop her lecherous hentai ways, which is one of the reasons she fears to let him know how she feels for him.  
  
Another reason is exactly what Miroku is staring at right now, the Kazaana in his right hand. The taijiya knows that if Naraku is not destroyed, one day in the future the Kazaana will expand too much and suck the houshi in side of it. Sango's eyes widen as she sees the look of bitterness and anger in Miroku's eyes. 'He must be thinking of his cursed right hand as well,' she sadly thinks to herself. 'It must be terrible for him, to have lived his entire life in fear of a curse put on his family line that will never end and eventually kill him if one evil youkai is not killed.'  
  
While thinking about Naraku, her mind lingers on another thing that he has that has some control over her. 'Kohaku,' Sango thinks while a small tear forms in her eyes. 'One day Kohaku, one day I will free you from Naraku's grasp and we will be together again once more.' A slight purring next to her ear and something warm and fuzzy nuzzling the same ear interrupts her thoughts.  
  
The taijiya turns her head slightly to the side and sees a pair of large red eyes with two small black slits for pupils. "Kirara," she mumbles while petting her faithful neko youkai in between her ears. The tiny neko purrs louder under her master's comfortable scratching and petting.  
  
Nobody notices the young looking girl in all white nearby watching them with a mirror in her hands. The youkais cannot sense her in any way because the young girl is in fact made of nothingness.  
  
______  
  
Far away in a grand castle, the young lord watches what the young girl sees with her mirror with great interest. "Inu-Yasha is no longer a part of the group? Interesting." He stands up and picks up a white baboon pelt and puts it on. "Kanna has done some wonderful spying, but I need to know for sure if the half-breed has indeed left the group." He begins to walk off, but pauses at the beautiful young woman with pointed ears and black hair pulled into a bun who is kneeling by him. She is wearing a white kimono with purple designs on it. A large fan is resting down at her knees. A small sneer comes to the man's lips. "Kagura, come along, we are going to pay a little visit to Inu-Yasha's former group."  
  
The woman picks up her fan and stands up, revealing her red pupil-less eyes. "Yes Lord Naraku."  
  


  
**To be continued...**  
  
______  
  
**Translations** (in order of appearance):  
  
_Haori_: a Japanese formal coat  
  
______  
  
**Author's notes**: Sorry I haven't updated sooner, but a lot of things have been getting in my way of both writing and posting. Naraku and his minions will come further into play next scroll and I will probably bring in Sesshô- maru, Jaken and Rin in soon -- _lighthawkdemon_  
  
Questions or comments? E-mail me at: **lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com**


	5. Memories

**Inu-Yasha**

**A Feudal Fairy Tale**

  
_Disclaimer: This episode of Inu-Yasha is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Inu-Yasha. "Inu-Yasha" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1998-2003 Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. Inu-Yasha is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc. All rights reserved._

  
**A Change of Heart  
Scroll Five:  
Memories**

  
Kagome sighs deeply, as she has been doing a lot of lately. She has been wondering if her feelings for the ookami youkai Koga are genuine or if they are something she made up to replace the deep love she had for Inu-Yasha, who she believed would never truly love her as she loved him. She remembers well the day she choose to be with Koga and be his mate...  
  
______  
  
Nearly two weeks ago: Inu-Yasha, Kagome and the rest of the group are wandering around searching for shards of the Shikon Jewel. All in all, it has been a pretty normal day. Kagome and the hanyou have gotten into their normal daily spat, ending with him being 'sat' into the ground and mumbling curses about worthless wenches. Normally the young woman from the future would just ignore his mumblings, but just recently she realized how much she actually loves Inu-Yasha and it hurts her deeply when he calls her names or questions her usefulness.  
  
Subconsciously, she reaches up and touches the two small Shikon shards around her neck. After Kikyo stole the large one she was wearing, they went hunting for more so, at least, Kagome could go back to her time when she needed to. They had just recently found two in the head of a large hebi youkai that Inu-Yasha and Sango had slain. Amazingly, the inu hanyou took the shards and gave them to Kagome without question. She was beginning to feel a little bit of hope that perhaps Inu-Yasha did fully trust her and, hopefully, did harbor some feelings for her stronger than just friendship.  
  
Later into that evening, Inu-Yasha, Miroku and Shippô are sitting around the campfire next to Kaede's hut while Kagome and Sango are bathing in the nearby hot spring. Since they were near the old miko's village they decided to stay there for the night. Inu-Yasha reluctantly agreed after seeing the pleading look in Kagome's eyes. Kaede is currently sleeping inside of her hut.  
  
Kirara is standing guard for Sango and Kagome at the hot spring, mainly keeping her eyes and ears open for a certain lecherous houshi that always manages to peek in on them. "So Kagome," the taijiya begins, "what's going on with you and Inu-Yasha?" She smiles as the young woman from the future blushes, as she always does when talking about the hanyou.  
  
"N...Nothing! We...we're just friends Sango. Why do you want to know?" She sinks down a bit into the warm water, not exactly wanting to talk about Inu- Yasha at this moment, knowing full well where Sango is trying to lead the conversation.  
  
The young taijiya's smile suddenly becomes very sly. "You know what I want to know Kagome. I see the way you look at him when he's not looking at you. You're in love with him and you know it!"  
  
Kagome sinks down even further in the water until just her forehead isn't submerged. A bunch of bubbles surface in front of her. She comes back up, blushing even more than when she just submerged herself.  
  
"What was that?" Sango questions, her smile becoming even slyer, almost Mirokuish. "I couldn't hear you."  
  
"I...I said that I l...I lo...IloveInu-Yasha!" she blurts out quickly, going even redder, her face a darker shade of red than Inu-Yasha's haori.  
  
"There you go," the taijiya giggles, "you admitted it. Now do you feel better?"  
  
Kagome sighs deeply. "Yeah, I guess I do." She suddenly looks worried. "Do you...do you think that Inu-Yasha feels the same for me?"  
  
"I think so," Sango smiles, putting a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "I see how hard he tries to protect you all the time and the look in his eyes when you come back from your time. Yep, he really cares for you, it's just that his hanyou skull is too thick for him to admit anything. I know he would probably kill me for saying this, but I think that Inu-Yasha would be a wreck without you around."  
  
"You really think so?" Kagome asks, a glitter of hope in her blue-gray eyes.  
  
"Yeah," her friend confidently responds.  
  
______  
  
Meanwhile at the campsite, Inu-Yasha and Miroku are deep into conversation. Normally the hanyou doesn't like talking to the houshi since his conversations usually steer towards the women who are bathing, but because he doesn't want him to peek on his Kagome, he takes his punishment. "So Inu- Yasha," Miroku begins, his eyes closed and his head bowed slightly, "I have been wondering for quite some time about the relationship between you and Lady Kagome."  
  
"What are you talking about bouzu?" the inu hanyou growls out.  
  
"I think Miroku's wondering how much you care about Kagome," the small kitsune adds in. He squeals out in pain as a large clawed fist collides with the top of his head.  
  
"I wasn't talking to you brat!" Inu-Yasha huffs.  
  
He is about to konk him on the head again when Miroku whacks him on the head with his staff. "You should not be angry with Shippô Inu-Yasha since he translated what I was trying to ask you."  
  
The hanyou crosses his arms and turns his head to the side, a small lump forming on the top of his head where Miroku's staff hit him. "Feh, why are you so interested in my feelings?" He mentally curses himself after he finishes his question. 'Oh great! Why did I just say that?' his mind screams out in anger.  
  
A smile makes its way across the houshi's face. "So you admit that you harbor some feelings for Lady Kagome?"  
  
Shipp's ears twitch slightly as he hears something coming near. He sniffs the air and smells Kagome. Inu-Yasha is so bent up in his conversation with Miroku that he doesn't notice anything out of the ordinary. 'Good,' the kitsune thinks, 'maybe he'll admit something and he and Kagome can finally get together or something!'  
  
"I don't know what you're babbling about bouzu!" Inu-Yasha spits out. Shipp's smile fades a bit, fearing what the hanyou in front of him is about to say. "Kagome is nothing more than a bother, always getting in the way. If I didn't have to spend all of my time protecting her, we'd probably have more shards!"  
  
The kitsune slaps himself on the forehead, thinking, '_baka_!'  
  
"You and I both know that is not true Inu-Yasha," Miroku calmly responds. "If it were not for Lady Kagome, then we would have a much more difficult time in finding shards of the sacred Shikon Jewel. Besides, do you not remember the last time we faced off with Naraku? If were not for her and her mystic arrows, we all would have surely perished in Naraku's noxious vapors."  
  
"Alright," the hanyou sighs, "so she has some uses. Is that supposed to mean that I care for her or something? Because I don't!"  
  
Inu-Yasha and Miroku are so involved in the conversation that they don't hear the sounds of a young woman running away nearby in tears, but the small kitsune does. 'He did it again, he drove her away' he thinks sadly to himself.  
  
The hanyou and the houshi stare at each other for several moments. Inu- Yasha suddenly sighs very deeply, giving up under Miroku's scrutinizing gaze. "Okay, so maybe I do care for her a bit, just don't tell anybody alright? That goes double for you Shippô!" he finishes in a growl.  
  
The youkai child face faults. 'If only she stayed for just a little longer! Kami, Inu-Yasha is such a baka!'  
  
Just at that moment, Sango appears from the brush to their left with her little neko pet Kirara on her shoulder. "Ah, that was refreshing!" she happily states while stretching slightly, oblivious to the look Miroku is currently giving her. The taijiya looks around the campsite and frowns slightly. "Hey, where's Kagome? She left the springs a little before me. She should have already gotten back."  
  
The inu hanyou's blood runs cold as he realizes that Kagome was probably spying on them and most likely heard some of the things that he said about her, both the bad and the good. He stands up and proclaims, "I'll go and find her."  
  
He takes a few steps out when Miroku and Shippô walk in front of him, stopping the hanyou. "I think it would be wise if you were to leave Lady Kagome alone for the moment," the houshi calmly states. "You do not need to upset her even more and I believe she most likely will be going down the well to her own time even though she left her large yellow bag here."  
  
"Yeah," the kitsune adds in, "so just don't follow her and let her cool down for the night, okay?"  
  
Sango and Kirara watch them with confused expressions on their faces. "I wonder what happened," she mutters to herself. "Inu-Yasha probably said something stupid again." The tiny fire neko mews lightly to her.  
  
Inu-Yasha's left eye twitches in annoyance, but he knows that the two are right. He grumpily sits back down. He'll just have to apologize for what he said tomorrow...when nobody else is around.  
  
______  
  
Kagome is running as fast as she can to the well. The tears that are pouring down her face sting her eyes. 'I...I thought he cared for me...but I was wrong,' she thinks sadly to herself. 'I...I have to go home. I can't stay here tonight with him around. It just hurts too much.' She is so engrossed in her thoughts and running towards the well that she doesn't notice the figure she is about to run into. She only comes too when she does collide with the person and fall backwards onto the soft ground.  
  
"K...Kagome?" a deep voice asks. "Is that you?"  
  
The young woman looks up and is mildly surprised to see the ookami youkai Koga standing before her. Without thinking, she jumps up into his arms and begins to sob onto his chest.  
  
The ookami is shocked at Kagome's sudden change in behavior. He is used to his woman always being cheerful and easygoing. Seeing her like this is quickly making him uncomfortable. He saw the sorrow in her eyes and both saw and smelt the tears that were spilling from her. He awkwardly wraps his arms around her. "What's wrong Kagome? What has bothered you so much?"  
  
Between her ragged breaths, she chokes out, "Inu...Yasha."  
  
"What has that inu-kkoro done to you?" he growls out. "If he hurt you, I'll make him pay! Nobody messes with my woman!"  
  
Despite him stating that she's his woman again, the youkai actually said something somewhat sweet to her. She leans up and gives him a small kiss on his cheek as a way of saying thanks for being so kind to her and helping to comfort her...sort of.  
  
Koga, as usual, mistakes her thanking him as a term of affection and he smiles widely. "Oh Kagome!" he happily begins, "I just knew that you actually cared for me!" he leans down and kisses the surprised young woman fully on her lips.  
  
'He...he's kissing me!' her mind screams to her. 'My first kiss! But...but I wanted it to be with Inu-Yasha...but he doesn't care for me...and this does feel really good. Maybe, just maybe...' her mind trails off as she begins to kiss the ookami back, who growls in response and pulls her closer to him.  
  
Over the next two weeks, Kagome would constantly sneak off to meet up with Koga. She began to feel like she was falling in love with him and, a few days ago, allowed him to mark her and they mated, though she will not get pregnant from it since 'she wasn't in heat,' according to the youkai. She felt...happy.  
  
______  
  
Just recently though, Kagome began to realize that she might not care about Koga as much as she thinks and that the feelings she has for Inu-Yasha are still as strong as ever, possibly even stronger than before. He did apologize to her in private for what he had said about her, though she was still upset at him at the time and was still shocked about what happened with her and the ookami so she didn't pay attention to what he was saying.  
  
Now the hanyou she still loves has run off with Kikyo and Kagome is pretty sure that she was the one who tossed him into the miko's arms for being with Koga. And here she is, marked and mated with someone who she isn't so sure of her true feelings for.  
  
Her deep thoughts are interrupted by a sudden strong gust of wind that knocks everybody off of their feet. They hear the laughter of a young woman and look up to see Kagura standing on a thick branch of a tree in front of them. She waves her large fan and another strong gust of wind hits them, this time sending the group several feet back. "So it's true," she lazily states. "That incompetent half-breed Inu-Yasha has indeed abandoned your little group."  
  
Kagome's lower lip trembles slightly in hearing the hanyou's name. "What do you want?" she shouts out.  
  
"It's not what I want," Kagura begins, "it's what he wants." She moves to the side to reveal a figure sitting behind her in a white baboon pelt.  
  
"_Naraku_!" everyone below him hisses.  
  
"Kukuku," the youkai chuckles in his deep evil voice, "Well now...isn't this interesting?"

  
**To be continued...**  
  
______  
  
**Translations** (in order of appearance):  
  
_Bouzu_: An insulting name for a monk  
_Kami_: God  
  
______  
  
**Author's notes**: Sorry for not updating sooner, I had a tiny case of writer's block (You do get it a lot when writing like three or four stories at the same time). I wanted to sort of explain how Kagome ended up with Kouga. It all was just an unfortunate series of bad timings for the poor girl from the future. This way, not all the blame can be put on her.  
  
Oh yeah, I just watched another episode of Inu-Yasha on Adult Swim last night and I must say that I am getting very disappointed in how they make Kikyo out to look so evil. She never said or did such evil things to Kagome in the manga in that part (I should know since I was reading through it while watching the episode). Okay, so maybe Kikyo did sorta drop Kagome over that giant chasm, but she never fell in and landed on the edge just before Inu-Yasha came to save her. Ugh, Kikyo is not evil! -- _lighthawkdemon_  
  
Questions or comments? E-mail me at: **lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com**


	6. Naraku's Attack

**Inu-Yasha******

**A Feudal Fairy Tale**

  
_Disclaimer: This episode of Inu-Yasha is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Inu-Yasha. "Inu-Yasha" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1998-2003 Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. Inu-Yasha is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc. All rights reserved._

  
**A Change of Heart  
Scroll Six:  
Naraku's Attack**

  
Kikyo stops in her tracks, sensing that something very evil is amiss. She can't sense its exact location, but she knows that it is coming from somewhere behind her. "Inu-Yasha," the miko calls, getting the attention of the inu hanyou in front of her as well as the tiny nomi youkai on his shoulder, "I sense something evil somewhere behind us."  
  
The hanyou's dog-ears perk up in the direction Kikyo mentioned. He sniffs the air a few times and his eyes narrow as a deep growl comes to his throat.  
  
"What do you smell Lord Inu-Yasha?" Myôga asks, worried if he has to leave his master's shoulder for safer grounds or not.  
  
"Kagura," he hisses, "and Naraku." He flexes his claws in anger. "Their scents are very faint, but they are definitely coming from that direction." The hanyou kneels down. "Climb onto my back Kikyo, we're going to find them" The miko does so and the two of them, minus a certain nomi who runs off in the face of danger, are off in search of Naraku.  
  
______  
  
Kagome and the rest of the group scatter from another Fuujin no Mai attack directed towards them by Naraku's 'offspring' Kagura. The female youkai smiles evilly at the group of humans and youkai before her. "Really now," she begins in a bored sounding voice, "I expected a little more from all of you. I suppose that your true strength really does lie in that pathetic half-breed."  
  
That comment only helps to infuriate the group. Sango readies her Hiraikotsu, Miroku begins to pull the rosary beads off of his Kazaana, Koga gets into a fighting stance and Kagome sets an arrow on her bow.  
  
"Ah, finally fighting back now are we?" Kagura says before shouting, "Fuujin no Mai!" and sending out another strong gust of wind.  
  
Everyone dodges the attack again. The taijiya is the first to her feet and shouts, "Hiraikotsu!" as she lunges her great boomerang bone towards the youkai. Kagome pulls back on her bow and releases a glowing spiritual arrow as well.  
  
Kagura sneers at them and raises her large fan to attack the group before her, this time shouting, "Ryuuja no Mai!" and releasing a large tornado at her foes. The hiraikotsu and spiritual arrow are easily picked up in the tornado's torrential winds and tossed aside. The tornado suddenly picks up in speed heading straight for Koga and Miroku who are standing in front of the group to protect them. The ookami, with his great speed, easily dodges but the houshi isn't so lucky. The tornado quickly lifts him off his feet and spins him around for a few seconds before hurling him into nearby trees with a sickening 'thuds.'  
  
"Miroku!" Sango shouts, running to the fallen houshi. She gently lifts his head up, cradling it in her arms. "Are you alright?" she asks while moving some of his dark hair out of his dazed eyes.  
  
Koga looks back for a split second to see if his fallen teammate is all right, but instantly regrets it as Kagura uses the opportunity to hurl another Ryuuja no Mai attack at him. This time it hits him and tosses him into a large tree as well. He slides down the trunk, wincing in pain.  
  
Kagome runs over to the ookami with Shippô in her arms. The kitsune hops onto his chest while the young woman from the future stands in front of him, guarding him from Kagura and Naraku.  
  
"How touching," Naraku chuckles from his spot behind his 'offspring'. "Kagura," he begins, "I grow tired of this foolish battle. This pathetic little group all provided to be much less amusing than I had expected. Destroy them all and gather for me any shards that they may possess and give them to me.  
  
The female youkai fights in the urge to say something nasty to her creator. She has never enjoyed taking orders, especially from Naraku, but only does so in the hopes of obtaining some Shikon Jewel shards herself and using them to gain her freedom from her twisted hanyou lord. "Yes Lord Naraku," she replies on a monotone voice. She raises her fan to let loose with a finishing attack. Kagura is about to swipe it down on the unlucky group when suddenly an arrow comes out of nowhere and tears a large hole into her fan.  
  
Everyone is momentarily stunned at what just happened. Kagome wasn't the one to shoot the arrow. Just then, Naraku's body explodes into dirt and dust, leaving behind his head still in the baboon pelt and a wooden puppet with some dark hair wrapped around it.  
  
"It was another kugutsu!" Shippô shouts in surprise.  
  
Kagura looks at her torn fan in dismay. "My fan!" she cries. "My lovely fan! You all will pay for destroying it!" She creates a large white feather and leaps onto it and flies away.  
  
Kagome helps Koga up. She looks around and mutters, "But who shot those arrows?" Her breath suddenly catches in her throat as she sees Inu-Yasha and Kikyo standing side by side far ahead of them. "Inu..._Inu-Yasha_."  
  
The rest of the gang gathers around and looks over to the hanyou and miko as well. The two far ahead of the group stand still watching them, neither making a single movement. A breeze passes by, fluttering their hair and clothes and giving them an almost mystical look. Inu-Yasha kneels down and Kikyo climbs onto his back. With one last look to the others, he turns around and leaps off.  
  
"Well," Miroku starts, wincing lightly while moving forward and using his houshi's staff for leverage, "that sure was...odd."  
  
The young kistune jumps up on Kagome's shoulder, still looking over where Inu-Yasha and Kikyo were just standing. "They saved us. Inu-Yasha and Kikyo saved us!" He shrugs his shoulders lightly. "Well...at least Inu-Yasha still wants to protect us...I guess he does," he finishes while scratching the top of his head.  
  
Koga shakes his head slightly. "Well...we didn't need any of their help in the first place. I was just about to get my second wind and take that girl and Naraku out. They just beat me to it," he finishes, sounding very confident in himself.  
  
Everyone besides the ookami roll their eyes while thinking, '_baka_!'  
  
______  
  
Naraku watches with narrowed eyes as Kagura comes into his castle. "You are back a lot sooner than expected," he begins. "You have no shards on you and my kugutsu was destroyed, what happened?" He holds out his hand and Kagura's heart appears in it, being the one thing that allows him complete control over her.  
  
She winces in sight of her heart in Naraku's evil hands. "Everything was going as planned, but someone shot arrows at my fan destroying it and your kugutsu as well."  
  
"So the girl did it," he finishes, narrowing his eyes in frustration. Kagome is the only human that Naraku truly fears, seeing as her ever- growing miko powers nearly completely destroyed him by purifying his body of venom and noxious vapors. They longer she stays alive, the further of a threat she becomes to his very existence. His thoughts are interrupted by Kagura speaking up.  
  
"But it was not her Lord Naraku. I was watching that girl the entire time and she only shot one arrow at me which I easily deflected with my Ryuuja no Mai attack."  
  
"It was not her," Naraku says more in a statement than a question. He looks to the side, pondering deeply. "If was not the girl who shot the arrows then who could have..." he trails off as a sudden thought occurs to him, "Of course," he hisses, narrowing his red eyes, "_Kikyo_."  
  
Kagura gets a look of mild confusion on her face. "Kikyo...are you sure that it was that miko? You once told me that she was not too fond of that other girl who is her reincarnation of sorts."  
  
Naraku leans back slightly, now deep in thought. "That is correct, Kikyo is the only other miko that has enough power to destroy one of my kugutsus with a single arrow. You are correct in the knowledge of her distaste of that girl who nearly destroyed me, which brings up the question as to why she would help her and her companions." He stands up and walks over to the nearest window. "If Kikyo now truly stands with them and against me I will have no choice but to put her in her grave once again."  
  
______  
  
The aforementioned miko is currently still riding on Inu-Yasha's back while he leaps from treetop to treetop. She takes her white hair band off and leans her head back slightly, allowing the wind to flow through her long raven hair. She is still getting used to how wild and free it feels to ride on the hanyou's back.  
  
Kikyo looks to the side as she hears her Shinidamachuu come near. They begin to gather all around them, gracefully gliding through the air. Inu-Yasha notices them as well but is not surprised by their presence since he knows that now that he travels with Kikyo, they will constantly be around to supply her with fresh souls so she can stay alive in this world. "Kikyo," he begins, getting the miko's attention, "do you need any souls right now? Would you like me to stop for a while?"  
  
The former guardian of the Shikon Jewel is slightly surprised by Inu-Yasha's soft and endearing question. Already it seems that he has warmed up to her like he did so many years ago when the body she was in was real. She nods quietly to him and he nods back before landing on the soft earth and stopping. Kikyo gets off of his back and takes a few steps forward to her awaiting Shinidamachuu with a fresh batch of souls for her.  
  
As the souls of the young maidens enter the miko's body of dirt and bone, her mind wanders back fifty years ago when her life had begun to feel at its fullest. 'Alas,' she sadly thinks, 'we can never go back to that time which I so relish.' After she is fully energized, Kikyo turns around and gracefully walks back to Inu-Yasha. She takes his face in her hands and pulls him down slightly into a warm, gentle kiss. The hanyou responds by wrapping his arms around her, deepening the kiss.  
  
Kikyo inwardly sighs in content. 'At least our future has a glimmer of hope in it.' After a few minutes, the two let go of each other, each having a mild blush on their cheeks. "Neither of us have eaten for a while," she starts, deliberately changing the subject both to Inu-Yasha and to herself. "Perhaps we should find something to feast upon and sit d..." Kikyo trails off in surprise as the prayer beads around Inu-Yasha's neck glow for a brief moment before forcing him to slam into the ground, making a small Inu-Yasha sized crater.  
  
The hanyou quickly recovers and sits up while rubbing the back of his neck gingerly. "Damn it! I forgot all about that stupid subduing spell."  
  
The miko rushes to his side, kneeling down beside him. "What has just happened Inu-Yasha? Are you injured?"  
  
Inu-Yasha's mood instantly softens at Kikyo's concern for him. "I'm fine. It's just these beads I've got around my neck. That old h...I mean your sister Kaede put them on me and Kagome can subdue me whenever she says '_sit_'," he finishes with a bitter look on his face.  
  
Kikyo places a hand on her chest. "And since she is my reincarnation I can subdue you as well." Without a second thought, she reaches over and easily pulls the beads off of him, much to his shock. He is about to respond, but the miko places a finger over his lips, halting whatever he was about to say. "You need not say anything Inu-Yasha," she calmly replies. "I trust you and have no need for such a spell over you. Besides," she adds while caressing the right side of his face lovingly, "I would never wish any harm upon you."  
  
The hanyou takes her hand in his and gives her a genuine smile. "I feel the same with you Kikyo." He lets go of her hand and stands up. "I'll go find something to eat, just wait here and I'll be back soon," and with that said, he leaps off into the forest to look for some food.  
  
The miko watches him leap away with a small smile. She turns her head to the side and gazes around her to where she is. It is another perfect day with the sun shining, a few small clouds in the distance, birds and other small animals scampering around doing their own things and the gentle breeze that rustles the leaves on the trees and the ripples it creates in the grass all around her.  
  
She looks down beside her and picks up a daisy. Kikyo brings it in close, admiring its simply beauty. "Funny," she thinks aloud, "it took my very own death for me to realize the beauty of everything around me and..." she trails off as Inu-Yasha suddenly appears from the forest, carrying what looks like a pack a villager would carry. The hanyou gives her an apologetic grin, which causes her to giggle slightly, something she has done a lot more of lately. '...and in the people I love,' she finishes to herself while standing up to walk over to Inu-Yasha.  
  
______  
  
Kagome and the rest of the group stand around, all discussing where they should head to next. The young girl from the future seems to be very anxious to leave the valley they are in and head on while everyone else thinks that they should all go to that one village that Myôga mentioned a couple of days ago. None seem to notice the old nomi's absence since he usually disappears for long periods of time.  
  
"I still say that we should at least inspect that village," Miroku says with his eyes closed. "If there is indeed a shard of the Shikon Jewel there then it would most definitely be worth the trip. That and I do enjoy sleeping indoors once in a while instead of out in the woods all the time."  
  
"I have to agree with the houshi on this one Kagome," Sango adds in. "We were going to that village anyway, I don't see why we have to turn around and leave now."  
  
The little kitsune Shippô hops onto her shoulder, his large 'innocent' green eyes shining brilliantly. "Please Kagome?" he begs, melting her heart as he says so. "Lets go to the village, okay?"  
  
"They're all right you know," Koga points out while placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.  
  
Kagome sighs deeply. She knows that they all are right, but since Inu-Yasha and Kikyo are probably still in the valley as well, she wants to leave, lest she feel any more heartache at seeing the two of them together. "I...I guess you guys are right," she meekly gives in, her head drooping in defeat. "Lets go and check out that village."  
  
The taijiya pushes Koga out of the way and puts her arms around Kagome sympathetically. "I know why you want to leave," she whispers in her ear, "and I understand. Don't worry Kagome, I'll be right here for you."  
  
"Thanks Sango," she gratefully replies. Koga kneels down next to her and she climbs onto his back while Kirara turns into her large fire neko form. Sango and Shippô hop on top of her. The taijiya closes her eyes and crosser her arms, waiting for Miroku to get on her faithful youkai pet as well and make an attempt to grope her. When nothing happens, she opens her eyes in confusion. The houshi is standing alongside Koga, waiting to start moving. With a slightly downcast expression, Sango urges Kirara to begin their journey. Soon the entire group is off towards the only village in this large valley.  
  
______  
  
Inu-Yasha and Kikyo are calmly sitting down around a small fire the miko managed to build for the rice in the villager's pack that Inu-Yasha 'found.' The miko gave him an exasperated look when he told her of the villager dropping the pack and running away when he spotted Inu-Yasha looking for food nearby. The villager obviously thought the hanyou to be dangerous and feared for his life.  
  
"Though I am not entirely pleased by the method in which you received this food Inu-Yasha," Kikyo begins, "I am glad that there is enough for the two of us for several servings."  
  
"Yeah," he agrees, checking on the rice, which is almost done. "We did get a little lucky there." His entire body suddenly goes rigid as his dog-ears perk up. "No," he says in a hushed voice. "Not now!"  
  
Kikyo leans in close to him, interested in what he is worried about. "What is it Inu-Yasha? What is going on?"  
  
"His death," comes a deep, yet bored sounding voice to their left, "if he does not give me what I want."  
  
The hanyou's eyes narrow as a full-blooded youkai gracefully emerges from the trees next to him. His long silver hair rustles slightly with each step he takes as his gold eyes carefully watch the hanyou and miko before him. His long fluffy tail is wrapped around his right shoulder and two swords are fastened onto his left side, where he is missing his arm. Inu-Yasha lowers his body into a defensive position and firmly grasps the handle of the Tetsusaiga, hissing out, "_Sesshô-maru_!"  
  


  
**To be continued...**  
  
______  
  
**Translations** (in order of appearance):  
  
_Fuujin__ no Mai_: Dance of Blades, this is Kagura's main attack where she sends out strong gusts of wind in the form of blades which can cut through almost anything.  
_Ryuuja__ no Mai_: Dance of the Dragon, Kagura uses this attack to send out tornados.  
_Kugutsu_: Golem, Naraku uses these puppets of himself instead of going to the actual fight by using a carved wooden doll with a piece of his hair wrapped around it. Naraku can also see what the Golem does.  
  
______  
  
**Author's notes**: I know I haven't updated in quite a while. My most sincere apologies to those who I have kept waiting for so long. My hectic schedule was starting to get the better of me, but now I'm adjusting and able to get back to writing again.  
  
So now Sesshô-maru has entered the picture. That pretty much means that Jaken and Rin will be in as well. Just stay patient a little longer and we will see how this affects everything. -- _lighthawkdemon_  
  
Questions or comments? E-mail me at: **lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com**


	7. Brotherly Love

**Inu-Yasha**

**A Feudal Fairy Tale**

  
_Disclaimer: This episode of Inu-Yasha is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Inu-Yasha. "Inu-Yasha" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1998-2003 Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. Inu-Yasha is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc. All rights reserved._

  
**A Change of Heart  
Scroll Seven:  
Brotherly Love**

  
Sesshô-maru, the full-blooded youkai who is also Inu-Yasha's older half- brother, has just emerged into the small clearing where his hanyou half- brother and the miko Kikyo were peacefully eating lunch. He eyes Kikyo with mild interest. "So Inu-Yasha," he begins, his deep voice sounding bored, "I see you have finally chosen." He sniffs the air and smirks. "You are just like Father, having an unnecessary liking for humans. Well at least Father was wise enough to choose one who was alive, not some deceased miko. Seriously brother, this is a new low for you."  
  
The hanyou growls deeply and unsheathes the Tetsusaiga, having it transform into the enormous fang. "Never...insult...Kikyo!" he shouts as he charges straight for his brother.  
  
The inu youkai expected to be attacked but was genuinely surprised at how quickly Inu-Yasha is now moving. He just barely dodges the swipe intended for his right side and leaps aside. 'He is moving even faster then when he is defending that other wench,' he thinks while preparing to dodge his younger brother's next attack. 'What does that mean? Does he now care more deeply for this deceased miko than that other girl he is constantly beside?' Sesshô-maru can tell that Kikyo is a miko because he can both smell and sense her powers. He can also tell that her powers are unusually strong, just like Kagome.  
  
Inu-Yasha is about to attack again when the sounds of shouting nearby distracts him. He, his brother and Kikyo look over to the bushes where Sesshô-maru had just emerged. The sounds of a young girl giggling reach their ears, followed quickly by an agitated voice shouting, "Get back here you miserable little human! Lord Sesshô-maru told you to stay behind and wait for him!"  
  
The young girl giggles back, "But Rin is bored! Why did Lord Sesshô-maru leave Rin all alone with boring old Jaken?"  
  
Suddenly the young human that Inu-Yasha's brother takes care of emerges from the bushes. She is dressed in a simple yellow kimono with blue triangles on it. Her bright brown eyes shine with curiosity and mild mischief. An awkwardly placed ponytail rests on top of her head to the side slightly. She sees the youkai who has become the closest thing she has to a father and squeals, "Lord Sesshô-maru!" and rushes over to him, attaching herself to his left leg.  
  
The youkai lord shows no emotion on his face, but does gently pat her on her head. "You should not be here Rin," he begins in a calm, collective voice, looking back over at Inu-Yasha. "It is dangerous here."  
  
The small girl puts her hands on her hips and puts a pout on her face. "Rin doesn't care!" she defiantly states. "Rin wants to be with Lord Sesshô- maru!"  
  
Just then, the odd little gama youkai that is the inu youkai lord's humble servant, Jaken, emerges from the bushes where Rin just came from, panting and looking extremely agitated. He instantly finds the young human he was supposed to be watching over and who she is currently attached to and shrieks. "L...Lord Sesshô-maru! P-P-P-Please forgive me!" He goes down on all fours and bows his head.  
  
"I gave you a simple task Jaken and you could not follow it," Sesshô-maru calmly responds, never taking his eyes off of his younger brother. "For that, you shall be punished."  
  
Jaken's trembling increases upon hearing that his youkai master will punish him. "O...Of course Lord Sesshô-maru. I promise to not mess up like this again!"  
  
"Be sure that you do Jaken. As of late, you have become more of a nuisance to me. If you foul up again as badly as you have just done, I will have no choice but to kill you."  
  
The strange little gama shrieks loudly as he bows even deeper, stuttering, "Y-Y-Y-Yes Lord Sesshô-maru."  
  
"If you're done," Inu-Yasha loudly interrupts, looking grumpier than usual and tapping his foot impatiently on the ground, "Sesshô-maru and I were in the middle of something."  
  
The inu youkai smirks sinisterly at his younger half brother. "Yes, that we were." Using the only arm he has, he scoots Rin aside. "Stay near Jaken Rin, this will be dangerous and I do not want you to get hurt."  
  
The young child huffs lightly, putting on another small pout, but obeys the youkai's order, walking over next to Jaken, who is still trembling slightly.  
  
Inu-Yasha and Sesshô-maru are about to face off when Kikyo walks in between the two of them, halting their progress. "Please, do not fight. I grow tired of all of this fighting and blood shedding. You there," she says, looking over at Sesshô-maru, "you are Inu-Yasha's brother, are you not?" The youkai does not move a muscle. "I will take your silence as an agreement. I wish to know why you desire to do battle with Inu-Yasha."  
  
Sesshô-maru looks at her for a moment, and then turns his head away from her, closing his eyes. "I do not need to explain my actions to anyone...especially to some filthy human."  
  
The inu hanyou growls menacingly, gripping the Tetsusaiga tightly and waiting for a chance to strike. 'Once Kikyo moves,' he thinks to himself, 'I'll make sure to become an only child.'  
  
The miko quickly arms herself with her bow and an arrow, pointing it directly at Sesshô-maru's heart. "Do not think that I will hesitate to destroy you because you are related to Inu-Yasha. I have killed many youkai in the past without much of a second thought, and many of them were quite powerful." The arrow she is pointing at the inu youkai faintly glows a light blue for a split second, emphasizing her point.  
  
"Kikyo," Inu-Yasha begins, "I want you to move away from him, this is just between Sesshô-maru and me."  
  
"Indeed it is," Sesshô-maru agrees. He reaches over to his left side, pulling out one of his two swords, the Tokijin, forged from Kaijinbo, the failed protégé of the sword smith Tôtô-sai, from the fangs of Goshinki, one of Naraku's '_offspring_' reincarnations. "Come now brother," he beckons, "let us finish this once and for all." And with that, he lunges.  
  
______  
  
Some distance away, Kagome and the rest of the group have just arrived at the village they have been heading towards since the day before. It looks like any other village they have come across, children running around and playing, adults either watching over the children or going about their daily business as well as the elderly.  
  
Miroku walks up to the nearest villager, a kindly looking old man and politely says, "Excuse me sir, but my companions and I hears some news about a koumori youkai nearby that has been a nuisance to your people as of late."  
  
The old man regards Miroku for a moment, then answers, "Well young man, there was a nasty little youkai around here a day or two ago, but a kindly miko and a hanyou took care of it."  
  
The entire group stops moving after hearing about this. Kagome rushes over to the man, startling him slightly. "A miko and a hanyou?" after the old man nods, Kagome continues on, "Did the hanyou have long silver hair, dog- ears and wore all red?"  
  
"Why yes he did, have you met him before?" the old man asks, now looking surprised. Everyone nods silently in response. "The miko was quite young and beautiful if I do say so. I was very shocked to see a miko traveling with someone who has youkai in them."  
  
Kagome backs off, her depression coming back at full force. The houshi, however, isn't quite done with his questions. "Tell me sir, when the miko and hanyou destroyed the koumori youkai, did any of them carry with them something small and perhaps shining?"  
  
The old man scratches his chin, thinking heavily. "Hmm...a tiny shining thing you say? Well.now that I think about it, yes...yes the miko was looking at a pretty little shining thing when they came back down from that cave up the hill over there," he expresses while pointing over to his right. "It looked really nice, what was it?"  
  
"Nothing," Miroku answers, "thank you for your help." With a friendly nod, the old man walks away. The houshi sighs slightly and walks over to the group. "Well it appears that Inu-Yasha and Kikyo have beaten us here and have taken a shard of the sacred Shikon Jewel, which begs the question as to why they are collecting shards."  
  
Sango looks around the village, Kirara sitting comfortably on her shoulder. "In any case, we don't need to be in this village or valley anymore so I say we should get going." Everyone nods in agreement. Kouga kneels down again so Kagome can climb on, Shippô sitting on her shoulder. Kirara hops off of her master and is engulfed in flames for a second. The flames dissipate, revealing the nekomata in her large form. Sango leaps onto her faithful youkai's back. She looks over at Miroku, who is getting ready to start running again. The taijiya notices the sweat on his brow and the slight hunch to his normally straight posture. "Er...houshi-sama," she calls out, "why don't you ride with me on Kirara for now? I see that you are tired from all the running you did to get here."  
  
The houshi smiles at her. "Why thank you lady Sango, I am a little fatigued from the initial trip so I think I will take you up on that offer." He walks over and seats himself up on the fire neko behind Sango. He gently places his hands on her waist for extra leverage, no groping whatsoever. The taijiya stiffens slightly under his touch, but calms back down when her wandering hands decide not to wander. She looks over at Kagome and blushes at the appraising look her friend from the future is giving her.  
  
"Come on!" Shippô whines. "Let's go! I'm getting bored just sitting here!"  
  
Kagome ruffles the small kitsune's hair affectionately. "Yeah, he's right. Let's get going everyone." And with that, the group gets up and quickly leaves the village, heading out of the valley in which so much has happened in just a couple of days.  
  
______  
  
The sounds of swords clashing ring out for several miles in all directions, scaring any animal or human out of the immediate vicinity. Inu-Yasha and Sesshô-maru fight with a strength and vigor that neither has used before. The hanyou now fights like a true warrior, not just relying on brute strength as he used to do all the time in the past. After killing Ryukotsusei, the youkai that was responsible for the death of Inu-Yasha and Sesshô-maru's father, the inu hanyou has become the master of the Tstsusaiga. The legendary blade now feels light and swift in his hands and he has complete control over all of its special attacks.  
  
For the second time today, Sesshô-maru is genuinely surprised at his younger half brother. His second sword, the Tokijin, is supposed to be stronger than Inu-Yasha's blade since Goshinki's teeth, which make up the youkai lord's blade, were able to bite apart the Tetsusaiga. But now both swords seem to be on par with each other. 'How can this be?' Sesshô-maru thinks to himself. 'Is this filthy half-breed finally able to fully master the Tetsusaiga? What has he done to accomplish such a goal?' He pauses his inner thoughts to block and parry a few slashes from his brother. His widen very slightly as he recognizes some of the moves the inu hanyou is doing. 'Those are my moves! How is he able to perform my moves in the exact same manner as I?'  
  
Nearby, Kikyo watches in awe. 'I had no idea his skills had increased so much. I can tell that his brother is a full-blooded youkai, meaning his strength and skills are much greater than those that Inu-Yasha has, but now it appears that they are equally matched, incredible!' She pauses her inner thoughts as the hanyou leaps in the air to avoid a strong horizontal slash from Sesshô-maru. As he soars over his brother, time seems to slow down, as it always does while he is airborne, and the miko gasps in surprise and places a hand over her heart at how dashing he looks. The wind lightly whisks at his fire rat haori and long silver hair. His deep golden orbs look sharp and determined. "Oh my," she whispers out loud.  
  
Right after Inu-Yasha lands, his brother is right on him, slashing and swiping with deadly accuracy. Just as the youkai thinks he is about to finally land a blow to the hanyou's shoulder, Inu-Yasha quickly brings up his sword just in time, successfully blocking the attack. "What is wrong Inu-Yasha?" he asks, his right arm struggling to push his half-brother back, "why are you not using any of the special attacks of your beloved Tetsusaiga? By the way you have been handling it, I believed you had mastered it."  
  
"I have," Inu-Yasha replies, also struggling to push his older brother back. "I just don't feel like using them, they make a battle too easy to win," he adds cockily. "Besides, with that other sword of yours, you could easily survive anything I throw at you."  
  
That comment throws the youkai lord off. His eyes make a quick dart to his second sword still in its hilt on his left side. 'Tenseiga,' he calmly thinks to himself. 'Why father would give me such a sword is still beyond me. I have no true use for a sword that only heals and never injures. Though it did save my life when Inu-Yasha first struck me with the Wind Scar. And...' he pauses mid thought, his eyes looking over to the little human girl he has taken in and taken care of for some time now, '...Rin.'  
  
After Sesshô-maru saved the little girl's life after she was attacked and killed by ookamis, Rin tagged along, following the inu youkai wherever he travels. Over time, Sesshô-maru unknowingly developed feelings for the child and now acts as an adoptive father figure to her, protecting her at times as if she were his own pup.  
  
The lord of the western lands looks back over to his little brother, the faintest traces of a smirk appearing on his face. "Well Inu-Yasha, it appears that you have indeed learned something. I am impressed." The hanyou growls and leaps back a few feet and then charges forward, only now his anger makes his moves a little sloppy and easy to determine. 'Yes,' Sesshô- maru mentally beckons, 'let the anger consume you Inu-Yasha. Feel it build up and let it take over your body. I, the great lord of the western lands, will not allow a filthy half breed like you to ever come close to besting or rivaling me.' He watches the hanyou prepare for another strike and almost laughs out loud. 'It does help in my favor that you are using the same fighting style as before. It is so predictable that I am now feeling ashamed that I was impressed at him earlier.'  
  
In front of him, Inu-Yasha is struggling against his brother's powerful counterattacks. 'What's going on?' his mind yells out in confusion. 'I was doing really well and now he's beating me! What am I doing wrong?' He is about to go in wide a swipe to the midsection when he sees Sesshô-maru bringing his sword down to block the attack he hasn't even attempted to do yet. 'He knows what I'm gonna do!' he thinks in surprise. 'He must know my fighting style!' A small smirk spreads across his face. 'Well then, let's switch up a bit and see how he likes it!'  
  
The full-blooded youkai confidently brings his Tokijin down the block the expected midsection swipe when his brother suddenly changes tactics, now slashing down at his head. Sesshô-maru back steps very quickly, the sword tip just missing him as it comes down. "Impressive Inu-Yasha," he calmly says. "I suppose you noticed that I knew your fighting style."  
  
"Yeah," he agrees. "And the fact that you started blocking for a strike I didn't even start yet sorta gave you away."  
  
"Did I now?" the inu youkai lord asks, looking amused. "I rarely make such mistakes."  
  
Inu-Yasha chuckles slightly. "Yeah, well…" he is cut off by the sounds of Kikyo yelling in pain and Rin shrieking in fear. Both brothers ignore the fight for a moment and look over to where the woman and young girl are. Inu-Yasha's blood runs cold at the sight before him. Another of Naraku's Kyodai Shinidamachuu has appeared and has wrapped its large red body around Kikyo, trapping her while it consumes the many souls within her body. She has gone limp against it and is her skin is deathly pale. "Kikyo!" the hanyou shouts as he rushes as fast as he possibly can towards the woman who he loves. He leaps into the air, shouting, "Tetsusaiga!" and the large fang slashes through the insect youkai, killing it instantly and releasing the souls it was devouring.  
  
Moving quickly, he kneels down beside the miko and gently picks her up in his arms. "Kikyo?" he quietly asks her, moving aside some of her black hair from her face. The hanyou looks up as a swarm of the miko's Shinidamachuu appear and begin to grab the many souls that are floating around. As soon as each grabs one, it flies down to Kikyo and releases them next to her, her body absorbing them and relinquishing her strength.  
  
Sesshô-maru silently walks towards his younger brother, watching in mild amusement. 'He truly does love this human woman. It has changed him. He and father have a lot more in common than I had originally suspected.' He puts the Tokijin back in its scabbard next to the Tenseiga. 'I can tell by the look in his eyes that the fight has left him. There is no more point in me being here.' He turns around, saying, "Rin, Jaken, come. We are leaving now." He begins to walk away when he notices that he can only hear one pair of small footsteps following him. The inu youkai stops in his tracks and turns around, his eyes narrowing slightly as he sees that his servant is following him, but not the tiny human girl.  
  
Rin is slowly, cautiously walking up to Inu-Yasha and Kikyo. She has a concerned look on her face as she gazes at the extremely pale miko. "Is she...is she gonna be okay?" the little girl asks.  
  
"Yeah," the hanyou responds, not tearing his eyes away from the woman in his arms. Every few seconds more Shinidamachuu come down and give the miko more many needed souls. He smiles slightly. "She's starting to get some color back to her." He runs a hand across her cheek and she slowly opens her eyes.  
  
"Inu...Inu-Yasha?" Kikyo asks, gazing up into the inu hanyou's deep gold orbs.  
  
He places a finger on her lips to quiet her. "Shh. Don't waste your energy talking yet. You're still pretty weak from that youkai taking almost all of your souls."  
  
"Why does she need all those souls for?" Rin asks, looking confused.  
  
Inu-Yasha sighs slightly. "Kikyo died a long time ago, but was brought back to life recently, but her soul wasn't complete so now she needs to have a lot of borrowed souls inside of her so she can still be alive." He looks down at Kikyo, and notices that her eyes are fully open and alert and her skin color is back to normal.  
  
She begins to sit up on her own, but struggles in doing so since she still needs more souls and isn't back to full power just yet. "Yes," she adds. "And if I were to loose all of these borrowed souls, then I would perish again."  
  
Rin scoots closer, her eyes wide and fearful. "Rin doesn't want you to die! You are so pretty and nice!"  
  
Kikyo smiles and reaches out and ruffles the child's hair, getting her to giggle lightly. "I will not die as long as Inu-Yasha is here to protect me." She looks back lovingly to the hanyou who has sworn to protect her life against Naraku. Two more Shinidamachuu give her a couple more souls and she finally feels strong enough to move her own body. She slowly stands up, but the attack took more out of her than she expected and she begins to stumble down, but Inu-Yasha is there to lend a helping hand. "Thank you Inu- Yasha. I still feel weak and I do not think I can walk a great distance at the moment so could you please carry me until I feel stronger?"  
  
"Sure," he answers without a second thought. He kneels down and the miko climbs onto his back.  
  
"Rin," Sesshô-maru's strong, yet curt voice calls out to the small girl. "It is time for us to leave now so come.  
  
The child shakes her head defiantly and attaches herself to Inu-Yasha's right leg, getting looks of surprise from everyone else in the clearing, even the youkai lord. "Rin doesn't wanna leave the nice lady and your brother! Rin wants to go with them!"  
  
Jaken looks nervously up to the youkai lord, unsure what he is going to do. Sesshô-maru looks all calm and composed on the outside but a torrent of thoughts and emotions flow through him on the inside. 'Should I leave Rin with that deceased miko and my little brother? If I do, there is a chance that Rin could get injured, and then I would have to kill Inu-Yasha, and he is quite stubborn to kill. But if I make Rin leave with me, then she will be upset with me and possibly will not talk to or listen to me anymore.' He inwardly sighs deeply. 'There is one choice I must make to ensure both her safety and happiness.'  
  
Jaken coughs nervously, getting Sesshô-maru's attention. "M-Mi Lord!" he stammers. "What are you going to do about the human child?"  
  
"Yeah Sesshô-maru," Inu-Yasha adds. "We can take her with us and all, but I don't want you crying about it!" he finishes with a cocky grin.  
  
The inu youkai looks up sharply, wiping the grin off of his younger half- brother's face. He slowly walks up to the hanyou, miko and small child. When he is a few feet from them, he says, "For a while, a very short while," he adds with narrowed eyes, "Rin and myself will accompany you on your journey." Inu-Yasha's eyes go wide in surprise. Sesshô-maru turns his head slightly to look at the gama youkai that is his humble, yet oftentimes bumbling servant. "Come Jaken, we are now traveling with Inu-Yasha."  
  


  
**To be continued...**  
  
______  
**  
Translations** (in order of appearance):  
  
_Gama_: toad  
_Tenseiga_: Heavenly Life Fang, the sword that can't kill, the sword Sesshô- maru inherited from his father. This sword has the ability to save a hundred lives with one swing but since it cannot harm anything, Sesshô-maru despises it.  
_Tokijin_: Fierce Fighting God, this is the sword that Sesshô-maru has Kaijinbo make for him from the fangs of Goshinki, which were able to break Tetsusaiga apart. It contains within it Goshinki's spirit, which is filled with hatred of Inu-Yasha for killing him. Lesser youkai or mortals can be possessed by the evil spirit of the sword if they try to use it.

_Kyodai Shinidamachuu_: The giant red soul collector youkai that Naraku sent off to kill Kikyo.  
  
______  
  
**Author's notes**: I know I haven't posted a new story in a long time, but I ran into a huge dry spell and didn't know how to go on. I'm just glad that they are showing new episodes of Inu-Yasha every Monday-Thursday on Adult Swim on Cartoon Network, I was inspired by some new ideas from watching it.  
  
Any way, a friend sorta gave me the idea to have Sesshô-maru join Inu-Yasha for a while since they'd make a badass team. I have to agree. Naraku's gonna have one hell of a time taking out those two together, don't you agree? -- _lighthawkdemon_  
  
Questions or comments? E-mail me at: **lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com**


	8. The Joining of Forces

**Inu-Yasha******

**A Feudal Fairy Tale**

  
_Disclaimer: This episode of Inu-Yasha is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Inu-Yasha. "Inu-Yasha" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1998-2003 Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. Inu-Yasha is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc. All rights reserved._

  
**A Change of Heart  
Scroll Eight:  
The Joining of Forces**

  
A few hours after Inu-Yasha and Sesshô-maru's encounter, the slowly growing group is traveling northward, following Kikyo's intuition about finding more Shikon Jewel shards. The inu hanyou and miko know that the more shards they can find, the more likely they will have an encounter with Naraku or one of his 'offspring' who can lead them to him. The only member of the group who wholeheartedly disagrees with this joining also happens to be the smallest of them.  
  
'Lord Sesshô-maru must be insane,' the small toad youkai Jaken thinks to himself. 'Allying himself with his filthy half-breed bother Inu-Yasha.I refuse to believe he has done this by his own choosing!' He quickly glances up ahead at Kikyo, who is walking alongside the aforementioned hanyou. His bulbous yellow eyes narrow in suspicion. 'It must be her!' his mind hisses. 'She must be using some kind of miko trickery to influence Lord Sesshô-maru to come along with them! I must put a stop to this!'  
  
He slows his pace inconspicuously so he falls behind the group. He takes a quick glance ahead to make sure nobody has noticed and when he is satisfied, he lifts up his staff and slams it onto the ground. Both the tiny woman and old man's heads come to life, opening their mouths as energy begins to form in them. With a look of determination in his eyes, the strange little youkai lifts the staff back into the air and points it directly at Kikyo. "For the good of my Lord Sesshô-maru," he mutters before releasing the blast.  
  
______  
  
Up ahead, Inu-Yasha and the miko are calmly talking to one another. "I'm not too sure about this Kikyo," the hanyou mutters, trying to keep his voice low enough so his older brother a short distance behind him won't hear. "We've never gotten along before, never! Why the hell would he want to join us now? Is he trying to get close so he can kill me or something?"  
  
Kikyo gently places a hand on the inu hanyou's shoulder, her touch instantly calming him down. "Inu-Yasha, I believe there is more to this than a simple despising of one another."  
  
"What do you mean Ki..." he trails off as a sound from behind distracts him. Acting quickly, he moves the miko aside and unsheathes the Tetsusaiga. The incoming energy blast is a few feet from him when a large white blur suddenly appears in front of him and takes the blast full force. Inu-Yasha shields his eyes for a brief moment and when he uncovers them, he sees Sesshô-maru standing in front of him, his demon sword, the Tokijin unsheathed and smoking slightly.  
  
Without a simple word to his younger brother, the youkai lord swiftly walks up to his servant, who is now cowering in fear at the look his master is now giving him. Sesshô-maru slowly sheathes his sword, his death glare never leaving Jaken. In the blink of an eye, the toad youkai's staff is in his master's hand. He swiftly hits his servant over the head, knocking him onto the ground hard. "Behave yourself Jaken, or you will find your head to be removed from the rest of your body," he calmly, yet dangerously says.  
  
"Y-Y-Y-Yes Lord Sesshô-maru!" he sputters out, his entire body shaking madly. 'This proves it!' his mind hisses in anger. 'Why would my Lord Sesshô-maru protect that filthy half-breed and dead miko and strike me down? There is foul trickery afoot and I will stop this madness as soon as possible!'  
  
______  
  
At the front of the group, Sesshô-maru calmly walks on with Rin happily trotting by his side, holding the harness for the large two headed flying youkai that they occasionally ride. The young girl keeps on looking up at her youkai '_father_' and giggles every so often. After the fifth time, it begins to rake on the inu youkai's nerve. When Rin looks up at him again, Sesshô-maru quickly snaps his head towards here, giving the child a penetrating gaze and startling her. "What is it Rin?" he sharply asks. "Why do you keep on looking at me and then laughing? I am growing annoyed."  
  
"Lord Sesshô-maru, you were very nice to help your brother and the nice lady," she plainly states.  
  
The lord of the western lands stays silent for a moment. "Do not mistake my action for concern over their well-being," he answers after the brief pause. "I was simply stopping Jaken from making a foolish mistake, nothing more."  
  
"Okay Lord Sesshô-maru," the child responds, though she begins to giggle again.  
  
The inu youkai holds in a sigh that is longing to come out and quietly walks on, although his mind is currently working in overdrive. 'Why did I help them?' he wonders. 'Inu-Yasha could have easily deflected that blast on his own, yet I helped. I do not even recall thinking about assisting, my body seemed to move on its own. Could it be that I do not hate that half breed as much as I had originally believed?' He mentally shakes his head. 'No, that is impossible. What I told Rin is the absolute truth.' With that little piece of uncertainty on his mind, Sesshô-maru walks on with the entire group right behind him.  
  
______  
  
A rather good distance north outside of the valley, Kagome and company are calmly walking along a dirt path in a large field. The young woman from the future feels better and better with each step she takes away from the valley where she has gone through so much angst about her true feelings for Inu-Yasha and his departure with Kikyo. Then there was Naraku's attack and then finding out that Inu-Yasha is still after Shikon Jewel shards…but now with the miko who died fifty years ago.  
  
Her thoughts are interrupted by Koga stopping in his tracks. She looks up at him curiously. "Hey...what's wrong?"  
  
The rest of the group stops as well. The ookami youkai just stares straight ahead, his eyes narrowing slightly. A few seconds later, two figures emerge from the forest ahead, both hurriedly moving towards Koga. As they get closer, everybody recognizes them as two youkais from Koga's tribe. One of them, with a white hair spiked into a Mohawk, kneels over, catching his breath while the other one, with gray and black hair, speaks up, "Koga! Oh man, we're so glad we found you!"  
  
"What's up guys?" his eyes go wide as he catches the scent of blood, ookami blood. He grabs his nearest comrade and pulls him up close. "What's going on? Why do you two smell like ookami blood?"  
  
"T-T-The _Harpies_!" the gray and black haired youkai stutters. "They're back!"  
  
Koga drops the other ookami, shaking his head. "Impossible! We went through their mountain and destroyed every last harpy! We killed them all!"  
  
The other one with the spiked Mohawk takes his turn. "Yeah, but we think there was a hidden nest or something, and these ones are different. They're bigger, faster and stronger, and we're having trouble fighting them! We called our brothers from the northern tribe to help, but we're still struggling! We need your help Koga!"  
  
The leader of the eastern tribes turns to his newfound traveling companions, a serious look in his blue eyes. "Sorry guys, but my tribe needs me." He gets ready to rush off, but a hand on his shoulder stops him. He turns to see Kagome smiling at him.  
  
"Hey," she softly begins, "you're a part of the group now, so we're going with you, right guys?" Miroku, Sango and Shippô all nod vigorously. "Okay then, let's get going!"  
  
Koga smirks widely at her. He kneels down to allow her to climb onto his back with the small kitsune in her arms while Kirara transforms so Sango and Miroku can ride atop of her. Everyone nods quickly before running off to save the ookami tribes.  
  
______  
  
Inu-Yasha and his new traveling companions pause for a short break, young Rin complaining that she's hungry and wants some food. Kikyo places the small basket of food and supplies the inu hanyou found for her down onto the ground and rummages through it, looking for something to quench the little girl's hunger. She finds some rice that was leftover from earlier and hands it to Rin, who happily takes it and eats up the rice very quickly. The young girl walks up to Sesshô-maru and tugs on his pant leg, getting his attention. "Rin is thirsty too!"  
  
"There's a small river nearby," Inu-Yasha answers, his dog-ears twitching slightly. "Its a little ways over there," he points to the east, into a small forest area. He starts to walk over to them, when his older brother stops him with a look.  
  
"Do not bother yourself Inu-Yasha," the full-blooded youkai begins in his calm collective voice, "I will escort Rin to the river. Jaken, you stay here, we will return shortly." And with that, the two depart, leaving the little gama, his two headed flying youkai, Kikyo and Inu-Yasha behind.  
  
The bulbous eyed little youkai takes one look at the hanyou and miko, then snorts derisively and turns his back to them. A shadow suddenly covers him from behind and he turns around to see Inu-Yasha glaring down at him, his arms crossed and a not too happy look on his face. "What do you want you filthy little half-breed?!" he snarls out, well as much of a snarl as his squeaky voice can make. Jaken then yelps in pain as a clawed fist collides with the top of his head, causing a rather large bump to form. "Why did you do that?!"  
  
"Why the hell did you attack Kikyo and me a little bit ago you stupid gama?!" the inu hanyou shoots back, his sharp golden eyes blazing in anger.  
  
"Isn't it obvious?" the little gama asks, his abnormally large eyes narrowing. "That no good miko of yours is influencing Lord Sesshô-maru somehow! I just know it!"  
  
Kikyo slowly walks up to him and stands side by side with Inu-Yasha. "I am doing no such thing to your master," she replies. "He has joined us of his own free will and he may leave any time he desires to do so."  
  
"You lie!" Jaken hisses, pointing an accusing finger at the two of them. "You have done something to Lord Sesshô-maru and I will not stand by while you poison his mind with your miko trickery!" He lifts up his staff and the old man's mouth begins to open when a small pebble comes flying out of the forest area and strikes him sharply on the back of his head, promptly knocking him down on his face.  
  
Sesshô-maru and Rin come walking out, the young girl skipping happily, her thirst quenched, while the youkai looks rather bored. "Honestly Jaken," he begins, "you are greater a fool than I originally gave you credit. Did you think that miko could have easily influenced my mind in any way, knowing the power of the blood flowing through my veins? Had she tried anything, I would have known and swiftly put a stop to it."  
  
"P-P-Please forgive me Lord Sesshô-maru," the pathetic little gama begs, tears forming on the corners of his yellow eyes. "I...I wasn't thinking cl..."  
  
"Precisely," the inu youkai interrupts. "You were not thinking. I suggest that you begin to think more about your actions, for I grow increasingly weary of you. Do not try my ever thinning patience." His bubbling servant bows again and again, backing away. The elder inu brother looks to his younger sibling. "Since I am in a mood to talk, tell me Inu-Yasha, what exactly are you and your miko doing? I know that you are still hunting down Naraku, but I sense a deeper on goings with your intentions."  
  
Inu-Yasha sits down, Kikyo quickly joining him. "Well we want to destroy that bastard for everything he's done. We're also still hunting down shards of the Shikon Jewel."  
  
"Ah yes," Sesshô-maru replies, nodding slightly. "So you still desire to become a full-blooded youkai like father and myself."  
  
"That is not the case anymore," the miko responds. For the briefest moments, the youkai lord is surprised at this answer. "As you already know, I am dead. This...body," she indicates, gazing down at herself, "is nothing more than a shamble of clay and bones and grave soil. My soul is not complete and I can only exist in this world by absorbing the souls of young dead maidens. It is not a way to live," she adds sadly.  
  
Inu-Yasha wraps a comforting arm around her shoulder. "We're going to find the rest of the shards and complete the jewel. Then I'm going to wish that Kikyo has her real body again and a full soul of her own."  
  
"Admirable," Sesshô-maru comments, looking back and forth between the two of them. "To think that my little brother, who so desired to become a full youkai for as long as he lived, is giving that one chance up to grant the desires of a deceased miko."  
  
The inu hanyou looks at his older brother, his eyes burning with a fierce determination and resolution. "I felt what it was like to become a full youkai, and I didn't like it. All I wanted to do was kill, and I didn't care who it was, friends, family, anyone. I just wanted to see more and more blood being shed. I could never live like that." He shakes his head with a sigh, gazing at his clawed hands.  
  
His older bother is about to say something else, when something catches his ear. Looking over at Inu-Yasha, it appears that he has heard something too, judging by his focus on his eyes and his twitching ears. They both look up just as several large winged creatures emerge from the clouds, dive-bombing down towards the group. They all scatter to get out of the way, but one of the creatures grabs Kikyo by the arm and lifts her into the air. The miko shouts, "Inu-Yasha!" as the creature soars away with her in its clutches.  
  
"Kikyo!" the hanyou screams, racing towards her quickly retreating figure. "No!" he shouts, sprinting in the direction the creature is carrying her as fast as his legs can take him. A blur suddenly appears by his side, which he quickly recognizes as Sesshô-maru. "What are you doing?" he questions the youkai.  
  
"I am assisting in the return of your beloved miko," he simply responds. Before Inu-Yasha can add a cocky remark, he adds, "Do not mistake this as an act of kindness on your part. Rin would become most upset if something tragic were to befall the miko. She has grown rather fond of her, and I wish not to hear nor see her cry over the loss."  
  
Inu-Yasha smirks, rolling his eyes slightly. "Whatever you say." The two race eastwards, starting to catch up with the flying youkai that kidnapped Kikyo.  
  
______  
  
A horrendous bloodbath.  
  
That is what best describes the scene that Kagome and the group sees as they enter the lands where the ookami tribes are battling the harpies. Mangled corpses, body parts, entrails and an endless sea of blood litters the battle field, most of which belongs to the ookamis. These harpies are indeed much different than the ones they previously encountered. They are larger and much fiercer. The lower bodies covered in red and dark brown feathers while the upper bodies are covered in gloss black skin, their whole appearance being much more demonic in nature.  
  
"This is _horrible_!" Kagome gasps, not believing the carnage before her. A scream up ahead diverts her attention. Tow harpies have grabbed an unfortunate ookami youkai and are flying opposite of one another, trying to pull him apart. Thinking quickly, the young girl from the future pulls out her bow and an arrow and launches it at one of the harpies, purifying its body and completely destroying it. The other harpy lets go and turns around just in time to see the other spiritual arrow that is about to strike. The horrible creature lets out a mighty bellow before disappearing.  
  
The ookami quickly runs up to Kagome, bowing to her. "Thank you sister! Those foul beasts would have torn me to pieces!" He looks next to her and instantly recognizes the youkai. "K-Koga! You've returned!"  
  
The young leader of the eastern ookami tribe smirks cockily at the subordinate. "You bet! And now were gonna kick some harpy ass!" He and the other youkai with him quickly rush into battle, defending their tribe.  
  
The ookami youkais, inspired by Koga's sudden appearance, now fight back with a renewed vigor. The leader of the northern tribe rips off a nearby harpy's head and shouts over at Koga, "I thought you weren't going to show up!"  
  
Koga rushes around three harpies, the Shikon shards in his legs making him nothing more than a blur. Within seconds, all three harpies fall to the ground, having been struck many times in numerous places. The young leader places his hands on his hips and retorts, "What? Did you think I was gonna miss out on all this fun?" A giant boomerang suddenly swooshes over his head and slices apart another harpy that was reaching for him. Koga looks up at Sango, who is riding on Kirara, and frowns at her. "I was just about to get him!" he complains.  
  
The taijiya shakes her head, thinking, '_Baka_!' as she catches her Hiraikotsu. She looks around, noticing that there aren't a whole lot of these new harpies around. "Something's wrong!" she shouts down at the group. "This seems too easy!"  
  
"What are you yapping about?" Koga barks at her. "We're just..." he trails off as the ground shakes and a thunderous screeching sound erupts from the mountain. Everyone looks up as suddenly hundreds, maybe even thousands of dark harpies come flying up. "Oh _shit_," the young ookami leader whispers, realizing now that this is going to be a major problem.  
  
Miroku confidently walks ahead, beginning to remove the prayer beads around his cursed right hand. "Everyone get down here and get behind me! I'm going to use the Kazaana!" Sango and the ookamis all quickly comply and get behind the houshi.  
  
He holds his right hand up and is about to release the terrible power the prayer beads contain when Shippô suddenly shouts, "Wait Miroku! Don't do it!"  
  
"Why? What is wrong?"  
  
"Look!" the little kitsune says, pointing up at the incoming harpies. They all gaze up and notice that there are small wasps flying down with the torrent of harpies.  
  
"Saimyôshô?!" the houshi shouts, his eyes going wide while he quickly covers his cursed right hand again. "If they are here then that means..." he trails off as the harpies suddenly stop, a group of them moving aside to reveal the evil creature that they have been hunting for a long time now, "…_Naraku_!"  
  
The hanyou chuckles at the group before him. "Yes, and I must say that I am disappointed at how easily all of you fell into my trap. I find these harpies much more useful than those pathetic ones that used to live here. These ones are quite willing to obey my every command, seeing as how I killed their leader, making me their new leader." He looks up as several harpies come flying in from the west. He smiles evilly as he sees the cargo one of them is carrying. "Good, everything is going along nicely."  
  
Kagome's eyes widen as she recognizes the figure clasped in one of the harpy's sharp talons. "Kikyo!"  
  
The harpy suddenly drops the miko, flying back to join its brethren. Kikyo screams as she plummets to the ground, having no way to save herself. Her descent is suddenly stopped when Kirara leaps to the rescue, catching her easily. The neko mata lands and Kikyo gets off, albeit rather shakily.  
  
"Welcome my dear Kikyo," Naraku greets. "Now once the last member joins, we can finish this once and for all." He looks up as a speck in the distance quickly gets closer. "Ah, and here he..." the hanyou trails off as he notices a second speck, this one moving much faster. His red eyes narrow in anger. "Now this was unexpected."  
  
Kagome's breath is caught in her throat as a certain inu hanyou leaps over the entire group and lands in front of them, facing the endless harpies with his Tetsusaiga unsheathed. "Inu...Inu-Yasha," she mutters, feeling her chest tighten. Suddenly another figure appears next to Inu-Yasha, this one being taller and more elegantly dressed, though the long silver hair and sharp golden eyes are the same. The youkai unsheathes his sword, the Tojikin, and the two brothers face the villainous Naraku and his horde of harpies and Saimyôshô. Kagome and the others are in complete shock at the sight they are seeing. "Inu-Yasha...and Sesshô-maru are working together?"  
  


  
**To be continued...**  
  
______  
  
**Translations** (in order of appearance):  
  
_Saimyôsh_: Poisonous Wasps, these are the hell wasps that Naraku uses when Miroku is around since if he absorbs them into his Wind Tunnel, he will be poisoned. They also act as reconnaissance.  
  
______  
  
**Author's notes**: Holy crap! I haven't updated this story in like forever! I only had a few pages done for the longest time, but these last several pages just flew off my fingers today as I finally got some good ideas brewing. Now I should get some more done sooner since this idea can last a couple of more chapters.  
  
Right now as you're reading this, I'm getting to work on my 'What's a Hanyou to Do?' fic, seeing as this one needs to be updated as well. Keep patient and I will have more in soon. - _lighthawkdemon_  
  
Questions or comments? E-mail me at: **lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com**


	9. A Betrayal

**Inu-Yasha  
****A Feudal Fairy Tale**

_Disclaimer: This episode of Inu-Yasha is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Inu-Yasha. "Inu-Yasha" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1998-2003 Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. Inu-Yasha is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc. All rights reserved._

**A Change of Heart  
Scroll Nine:  
A Betrayal**

Naraku gazes at Inu-Yasha and Sesshô-maru with great interest in his evil red eyes. "Now this is a surprising turn of events," he chuckles. "I had never expected to see the two of you fighting side by side. If I'm not mistaken, I believe there is a lot of animosity flowing in between both of you."

"There still is," Sesshô-maru calmly replies, "but we have decided to put aside our dislike for one another for the time being to fulfill a common goal."

The evil hanyou smirks at the lord of the western lands. "Really now? And what may that be?"

"We both really don't like your ugly ass," Inu-Yasha answers, watching all the youkai in front of him and his brother carefully, "and we want you dead, hopefully in the most painful way, and the Shikon Jewel out of your hands."

"And how do you expect to do that?"

Sesshô-maru suddenly rushes forward, flying through a dozen or so unsuspecting harpies and Saimyôshô in front of him. A second after he stops moving, all the youkai he passed fall to the ground, dead before they even knew what hit them. "Like that," the inu youkai says, pointing his now blood soaked Tokijin up at Naraku, his calm, cool demeanor still holding strong.

Naraku narrows his eyes, his smirk now gone. "So be it, but it is your funeral. I will allow none who stand against me to live. Had you been intelligent enough to stay out of this, I would have spared you, but now you leave me no choice." He nods and the torrent of harpies and Saimyôshô swarm down to attack.

As they approach them, Inu-Yasha holds up his Tetsusaiga, preparing for its ultimate attack, the Kaze no Kizu. As whisps of wind begin to swirl around his sword he raises it above his head and slices down, releasing the 'Wind Scar'. It is about to strike the harpies when several blades of wind intercept and stop the Kaze no Kizu from reaching its target. "W-What!" the inu hanyou shouts, looking around. "What the hell happened?" He looks up at Naraku as a smaller figure walks out from behind him. She waves a fan in front of her and smiles evilly at him. "Kagura!" he growls. "Well if I can't use my 'Wind Scar', I'll just go through every stinkin' harpy one-by-one!" And with that, he charges in, slicing down every creature in his way.

Down at the base of the mountain, everyone else watches with a mixture of surprise and awe. Two women in particular watch a certain inu hanyou with admiration and love in their eyes. 'Oh Inu-Yasha,' Kagome thinks to herself, her hands clasped in front of her, 'I forgot how heroic you can be! How could I have thought that I could stop loving you?'

Not too far from her, Kikyo is readying her bow, skillfully placing an arrow on it and watching everything in front of her intently. 'Good work Inu-Yasha,' she thinks, 'you and your brother need to keep them distracted long enough so I can get in just one good shot at Naraku and end his evil once and for all. Then we can gather his Shikon Jewel shards and find any others that still remain elsewhere and then I can become truly alive once more.' She smiles in thought. 'We can finally live together and be happy.'

Koga runs in front of his ookami brothers, pointing up towards the battle. "What the hell are you lazy bums doing? You want those two mutts to hog all of the fun for themselves? Let's go!" All of the remaining ookami youkai cheer and rush into battle, ready to destroy the harpy menace and station themselves at the true maters of the mountainous region once more.

Sango leaps back onto Kirara and follows the ookami tribes into the harpy horde, throwing her Hiraikotsu out and slicing them apart. She turns her head to the side slightly to see Sesshô-maru rushing by, slicing through harpy and Saimyôshô as if they were nothing, which to him, they are. 'I don't know why he's helping,' the young taijiya thinks to herself, 'or how he and Inu-Yasha are getting along without killing each other, but this battle is looking more to our favor now that they're both here.'

* * *

Inu-Yasha takes down another dark harpy, smiling the entire time. "It's been a while since I could let loose like this! These guys aren't even that tough!" The mountain suddenly rumbles again as several hundred more dark harpies emerge from its peak, all screeching and coming down onto the combatants intent on wiping them out. "Damn it! Where are they all coming from?" He looks up and sees Kagura and Naraku smiling down at them. With a growl, he lunges towards them, but a horde of harpies and Saimyôshô fly in front of him, preventing the inu hanyou from moving further. "Out of my way!" he shouts, tearing through them with his Tetsusaiga.

The youkai that are killed are instantly replaced by another wall of harpies. 'Damn, I can't get through!' he thinks with a growl. A flash of white on the corner of his eye slightly diverts his attention. The hanyou turns his head to see his older brother slice through another harpy, looking almost bored. "Hey Sesshô-maru!" he shouts, getting the inu youkai's attention. "You're lookin' a little bored, if you want something fun to do, why don't you go and take out Naraku? That is, unless you're not youkai enough to do it." He internally smirks at the scowl Sesshô-maru sends in his direction. Without a single word, he rushes forward. "Man that was easy," Inu-Yasha chuckles while punching a rather large dark harpy in the face, sending it backwards into some of its own.

* * *

Up ahead, the inu youkai speeds through every creature around him, intent on getting to the one responsible for this madness. He leaps into the air, soaring above the savage battle. He softly lands several feet from Naraku who, despite looking calm, has an underlying tenseness now to him. Kagura backs off, watching the two warily. Sesshô-maru stands tall and regal, not showing a single emotion on his face. "You are pathetic."

Naraku's eyes narrow in anger. "Pathetic?" he repeats. "How dare you call me, the youkai Na…"

"Hanyou," Sesshô-maru interrupts. "You may hide it as hard as you possibly can from everyone else, but I know the truth. You are nothing more than a pathetic, worthless, weakling hanyou."

Kagura lifts her fan up to her face, covering her smile. 'I always believed that Sesshô-maru was powerful enough to take out Naraku. If he can actually do it, then I will finally be free from his stinking clutches.'

Naraku, despite now being in considerable danger, calmly walks up to the inu youkai, a small smirk on his face. "A hanyou I may be, but I am anything but pathetic, worthless and weak. And besides, I would have thought we could have been allies. I did help you once before when you desired revenge upon Inu-Yasha and to have and use the Tetsusaiga."

"You did," Sesshô-maru agrees. He suddenly unsheathes the Tokijin and points it directly at the villainous hanyou's throat. "But if I remember correctly, you cursed that human arm with a Shikon Jewel shard in it so it would devour me if I kept it on for too long. You would kill me, just for some pathetic little jewel fragment. Let me return the favor." He begins to swing at Naraku's neck, when it suddenly strikes a strong barrier and is unable to move any further. "A barrier," he mutters.

Naraku chuckles evilly, his smirk widening. "Did you really think it was going to be that easy?" he asks, backing away with his hands clasped casually behind his back. "You will find it to be quite a difficult task to kill me. With nearly all the Shikon Jewel shards in my possession, the barrier I can create around myself is completely indestructible. You have no chance to defeat me now." He begins to chuckle lightly. "Now who is the weakling?"

Sesshô-maru moves the Tokijin away from Naraku and sheathes it back to his side. "Your barrier may be strong, but it is not invincible." He holds out his right hand while his claws begin to glow a sickly green. The youkai thrusts his hand forward into the barrier, letting the faintest of smiles emerge as he feels it struggle to maintain itself against his own strong youkai powers. He pulls back after another moment, letting the barrier reform completely. "With that boast about the Shikon Jewel shards, I had expected better."

Despite his barrier nearly being penetrated, Naraku continues to smirk. "Do you truly think that was my strongest barrier? My true barrier is much more powerful than that, but now I bore of you and your own boasts." He holds up one of his hands and deliberately cuts it, letting the venom noxious vapors that flow through his veins to seep out of his barrier and head right for Sesshô-maru.

The inu youkai quickly covers his mouth and nose with his hand, leaping back to escape the deadly poisons. "Do you think that will keep me away for long?" He lands a safe distance away, his gold eyes narrowing dangerously. "You are even more pathetic than I originally presumed. I have never in my whole existence seen a single creature with youkai blood in them act in such a cowardly manner. You deliberately do everything in your power to not raise a single finger to do your own battles. You send anything and everything else in your stead, proving that you truly are not strong at all, but in fact extremely pathetic and weak."

* * *

Inu-Yasha tears through the harpies and Saimyôshô with ease, smiling all the way. "Boy, this is pretty easy," he mutters, slicing through enemy after enemy. "I was hoping for more of a challenge." Just as he finishes those words, a small swarm of harpies rush him from behind, their sharp talons slicing across the inu hanyou's back. "Ouch! Damn it, that stung!" He hops back just in time to avoid getting sliced again, this time by two harpies coming in from each side. Inu-Yasha smirks at their new pattern. "Heh, so you guys actually have some brains in those big ugly heads now? Good, I wanted to work up a little sweat!"

* * *

Down below, the ookami tribes are taking care of the opposing youkai that are streaming down at them. Koga kicks and punches through each harpy that attacks him. 'Hmm, they're gettin' smarter,' he thinks to himself. 'They definitely are a lot tougher and harder to kill than last time, and way more ferocious.' He looks over his right shoulder at the sounds of one of his ookami brethren screaming out in terror, just in time to see two harpies rip the poor young youkai in two. He winces and turns his head away, not wanting to see the ookami's fate. "Damn you Naraku," he hisses, "you're gonna pay for this!"

* * *

Miroku slams his houshi's staff down onto an unsuspecting harpy, knocking it down onto the ground. The young man quickly ducks down, dodging a swarm of Saimyôshô that have been relentlessly attacking him, specifically going for his right arm. Already, he has almost had the rosary beads containing the Kazaana ripped off of him a couple of times. "Ungh, they are getting too close for comfort!" he shouts. Kagome, who is nearby, rushes over to his aid, carrying her large yellow backpack with a trembling Shippô inside with her. The young girl from the future pulls out an arrow and fires it at the swarming insects, destroying the large group with one spiritual arrow. "Many thanks Lady Kagome," the houshi says, nodding to the young woman.

"You're welcome," she responds, stopping at the houshi's side and readying another arrow. "How are you doing?"

Miroku frowns, his eyes watching the battlegrounds ahead. "I am faring well, despite the never ending Saimyôshô that are trying to remove the rosary beads from my hand." Kagoma gasps in response. "I'm assuming Naraku finally wants to end what he started with my grandfather. If my Kazaana gets exposed now, there's no telling who could get caught in its path, friend or foe." He pauses for a moment to swipe at another swarm of hell wasps. "These Saimyôshô are more persistent than ever!"

"I'll stay by your side and keep all those wasps off of your back," the young woman exclaims while readying another arrow on her bow. Some movement to her side catches her attention. She turns to the side, to see Kikyo holding her bow up with an arrow set and prepped to fire. She has a look of pure concentration on her face while she is aiming high up the mountain. Kagome's eyes travel upwards until they rest at the point in which the miko is aiming. 'Naraku,' the young girl's mind hisses. She notices the two other figures that are near him. 'Kagura and Sesshô-maru. Inu-Yasha's brother must be facing them both. Well he is pretty strong, I just hope he's strong enough to face those two all alone.'

* * *

Sesshô-maru's words are the breaking point for the nefarious hanyou's usually strong ego. With a wave of his hand, the noxious vapors vanish. Naraku stands tall and proud, beckoning to Sesshô-maru and dropping his barrier in challenge. "Well then, if you think you can do it, then come. Destroy me!"

"As you wish," the lord of the Western lands says, beginning to sprint towards his target. He is several feet from Naraku when a strong gust of wind pushes him from the side. He looks over to see Kagura slowly walking up to him, her fan waving back and forth in front of her. "I should have known," Sesshô-maru outwardly comments, "too weak and cowardly to fight your own fights." He then unsheathes his Tokijin, the faintest traces of a smile on his lips. "I may not be able to use my sword on Naraku because of his barrier, but I am quite sure it will work perfectly well on you."

Kagura stops walking, the smile leaving her face. She quickly snaps her fan shut and shakes her head. "I am sorry to disappoint, but I am not your foe today."

"_What_?" Naraku calmly, but quite dangerously asks, his red eyes narrowing menacingly. "You dare to defy me? I am your creator, I gave you life, I control you Kagura. You either obey me or you will die." He holds out his left hand as a pulsing heart comes out of his palm, expressing his point. He squeezes it and his reincarnation falls to her knees, clutching her chest and groaning in pain.

"N…never!" she gasps out. "I am through…doing your dirty work…**ugh**…and being your…puppet. You want him dead…you do it…yourself!"

The hanyou frowns slightly. "Well that is your decision. You were a good servant, when you did what you were told." He squeezes tighter, intending on ending the young youkai's life and then absorbing her dead body back into his when he is finished.

What he doesn't expect is the spiritual arrow that comes soaring at him and strikes his shoulder, blowing his left arm off of his body. In one swift move, Kagura grabs the severed arm and wrenches her heart from it, grimacing in pain as she does so. In a flash of brilliant light, the heart vanishes, going into its true owner. The wind witch looks up, a stunned expression on her face. She places a hand on her chest, feeling her heart beat inside of her for the very first time. "I…I can feel it," she says in a barely audible whisper. "My heart…is finally mine. I am…free." Kagura stands up, smiling evilly at her former master. "You can no longer tell me what to do Naraku!" She turns and faces the fierce battle going on below. Opening up her fan, she shouts, "Ryuuja no Mai!" as several tornadoes emerge and fly down, grabbing all of the harpies and Saimyôshô and trapping them inside the torrential winds and gathering the attention of everyone else involved in the battle. When all are trapped, she yells, "Inu-Yasha! You know what to do!"

The inu hanyou raises an eyebrow, not exactly sure what to do. He looks down at Kikyo, searching for an answer. The miko beckons him on, lowering her bow and shouting, "You can do it Inu-Yasha! Destroy them!"

Inu-Yasha smirks while turning to face the evil youkai trapped in the tornadoes. "You don't need to tell me twi…er…well I'll do it!" he quickly finishes, the faintest traces of a blush on his cheeks. He grips the hilt of his sword and whisps od wind form around it again. The hanyou then raises his Tetsusaiga up high, and in one fell swing its ultimate technique is unleashed, taking out all off the 'Birds of Paradise' and poisonous insects. With a satisfied smile, Inu-Yasha leaps into the air, landing behind Naraku and trapping him in between himself, Kagura, Sesshô-maru and the mountain. "Give up Naraku," he growls, tightening his grip on his sword. "You lost and you're surrounded."

The evil hanyou gazes around him, at all of the enemies he has made, including one of his most powerful reincarnations. He bows slightly with an evil smile. "I concede defeat for now, but you have in no way completely defeated me, for as long as I hold almost all of the Shikon Jewel, I will continue to return until you are all destroyed." Suddenly, a shouki emerges from his body, forcing the two youkai and hanyou around him to leap back to avoid its poisonous and corrosive vapors. "We will finish this one day," his dark voice says from the shouki, "and I do not handle betrayal well Kagura. You will pay." And with that, the shouki dissipates and Naraku disappears.

Sesshô-maru and Inu-Yasha both walk up to Kagura, eyeing her cautiously while holding their swords up, ready for a possible attack. When she clips her fan shut, they sheath their swords. "What will you do now?" the inu youkai curtly asks, getting straight to the point. "You are freed from Naraku, what do you plan to do?"

"Yeah," the hanyou adds. "Are you like switching sides now or something?"

Kagura turns her head to the side and closes her eyes, a slight smile on her face. "Of course not. Just because I can outwardly hate and fight Naraku does not mean that I'm now all goodie-goodie like you Inu-Yasha. I still despise you and would like nothing more than to behead you right now, but now we share a common enemy in Naraku, and I believe that you, your brother and that dead miko of yours are powerful enough to rid the world of him, so I will spare you for the moment. Until then…" she plucks a white feather out of her hair and, in a whisk of wind, the feather grows in size and Kagura flies away on it, watching everyone below her with a smile.

The inu youkai turns around to leave. "I must get back to Rin and Jaken. They will be worried about my long absence. I presume you and your miko will join us once more?"

"Sure," Inu-Yasha answers. "Kikyo and Rin seem to really like each other. We'll be back in a little bit." With a nod, the older brother leaps off of the mountain and rushes away. The hanyou slides down to the base and is greeted by Kikyo, who wraps her arms around him.

"I am glad that you are unharmed Inu-Yasha," the miko whispers into his ear, tightening her grip around him.

The hanyou returns the warm embrace. "You were worried about me? Heh, I was more worried about you, especially when that stinkin' harpy grabbed you and flew away." His ears twitch at the sounds of people coming closer. He looks up to see his former traveling companions walking up to him.

"Inu-Yasha," Kagome begins, the admiration practically pouring from her voice, "thank you."

Koga suddenly comes rushing up, the surviving members of the ookami tribes not too far behind him, overjoyed, yet surprised at their strange victory over the dark harpies. "I'll admit, you and your brother did good mutt-face, but it was nothing I couldn't have handled."

"Whatever," Inu-Yasha replies, rolling his eyes. "Are you guys alright?" he asks to Kagome and the others. They all nod, including Shippô, who finally has left the safety of Kagome's backpack. "Good, well I'm off." He kneels down and Kikyo climbs onto his back.

They are about to depart when the young girl from the future stops him. "Wait Inu-Yasha!" She rushes up to them. "Can you…I mean…will you join us again? It's…not the same without you." Miroku, Sango and the little kitsune all nod in agreement, but Koga crosses his arms and mumbles out a few choice phrases, just out of hearing range of the hanyou and sensitive young ears of Shippô.

The inu hanyou shakes his head and turns back around. "Sorry, but…I'm not ready to come back." With a slight nod, he leaps off with Kikyo still on his back.

Kagome fights to hold in the tears that are screaming to come out. Her unlikely savior from the tears comes when her ookami mate pats her on her shoulder, shocking her and scaring off her tears. "You okay Kagome?" he asks, his voice filled with concern for the woman he loves. "You're looking and smelling a little upset."

"No…I'm fine," she lies. "I'm just a little sad that Inu-Yasha didn't want to join us again."

"Ah don't worry about that inu-kkoro. We can get on just fine without him, so lets get going and go find some more jewel shards!" He looks over at his ookami brethren. "Good work guys. I'm gonna head off now, but I'll return once in a while to make sure everything's going on well." The youkai tribe all wish the group a safe farewell as they head back off on their seemingly never-ending journey.

* * *

Inu-Yasha leaps from treetop to treetop, Kikyo safely holding onto him. "Kikyo…" the hanyou slowly begins, "why didn't you kill Naraku when you had the chance? I mean, I knew it was you who shot him with that arrow, but why did you just shoot off his arm? Why not just destroy him then and there?"

"It was not his time," the miko answers. "As soon as he gathers the rest of the Shikon jewel shards and it is whole once more, that is the time when I will truly destroy him."

The inu hanyou pauses for a moment as he feels the wind rush through his hair. "And what about Kagura?"

Kikyo gazes off into the distance. "Though she is by no means a friend, she has now become a powerful ally in our fight against Naraku. I sensed within her a deep hatred for her creator, and that is why I helped to free her."

Inu-Yasha looks at her for a moment in surprise, but smiles after a second. "I guess you have a point there. I just hope you made the right choice Kikyo."

The miko returns the smile, but thinks to herself, 'So do I.'

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Translations** (in order of appearance):

_Shouki_: Miasma, Naraku sends out poisonous vapors either when trying to escape or to trap his enemies so they cannot escape themselves.

* * *

**Author's notes**: Well I finally finished another Inu-Yasha chapter. Sorry for the long delays between chapters, I try to do more, but I keep on getting distracted, what with out looking for a new job or jobs and all. I'm not too sure when I'll get a new chapter in, but I'll try to make it as soon as I possibly can. Thanks for waiting all you remaining fans!

Well Kagura is finally free from Naraku's grasp. What will she do now? Where will she go? Find this out and more later! – _lighthawkdemon_

Questions or comments? E-mail me at: **lighthawkdemon**(at)**Y!**


	10. Confusion

**Inu-Yasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale  
  
**

_Disclaimer: This episode of Inu-Yasha is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Inu-Yasha. "Inu-Yasha" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1998-2003 Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. Inu-Yasha is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc. All rights reserved._  
  
**A Change of Heart  
Scroll Ten:  
Confusion**  
  
"Lord Sesshô-maru!" Rin shouts as the inu youkai leaps into the clearing he left the little human girl and Jaken in before he rushed off into battle against Naraku. Before he has a chance to say anything, the young girl attaches herself to his leg, hugging it tightly and not letting go. "Rin missed you!"

The youkai lord awkwardly pats the human child on the head. "Yes, I apologize for my long delay in returning Rin."

The strange little imp hobbles up to his master. "Yes mi lord, you have been gone for quite some time now. What happened?"

"Naraku," Kikyo answers, as both she and Inu-Yasha land not too far from Sesshô-maru. "He tried to lure Inu-Yasha and myself into another one of his cunning traps so he could destroy us and gather the rest of the Shikon Jewel shards without any interference."

"He had not expected my presence," the inu youkai calmly adds in. "His trap was a rather pathetic one. I had expected much more from him, though the betrayal from Kagura had been most unexpected." Both Inu-Yasha and the lovely miko next to him nod slightly in agreement.

Rin rushes over to Kikyo and she picks her up in her arms. "Rin missed you!" the little girl says. "When that big youkai took you away, Rin was very worried about you!" She then wraps her arms around the older woman in a caring hug.

The miko is momentarily surprised by her affectionate actions. She them smiles warmly and kneels down to return the hug, gently running her fingers through the child's hair. "You do not need to be worried about me anymore Rin," the miko calmly says. "As long as both Inu-Yasha and his brother are here, I am none too worried about getting harmed."

"Ya here that?" the inu hanyou mutters to Sesshô-maru. "I think she's starting to trust you."

The elder brother shows no emotion towards this statement, but he turns away and his eyes narrow as he senses something. "A youkai is drawing nearer." He slowly reaches down towards his Tokijin, preparing for a possible battle. The winds suddenly change upwind and he frowns, now losing track of the incoming youkai. His sharp golden eyes dart around, but this youkai is smart, staying out of sight and not making a single sound, keeping both Sesshô-maru and Inu-Yasha from tracking it properly.

Suddenly, both of their eyes widen and the two grab the women by them and leap aside as a large tornado soars down from the sky and lands directly where they were all just standing…well, where the unfortunate Jaken is still standing. The strange little imp shrieks out in surprise as he is pulled in by the powerful winds and whipped out just as forcefully, his tiny little body flying off into the distance, becoming nothing more than another star in the sky. Both brothers narrow their eyes as they see a lone figure descending to the ground in the middle of the now disappearing twister.

Kagura smirks at the small group before her, snapping her decorative fan shut and completely halting the tornado. She calmly walks towards them, quite aware of the possible imminent danger she is in, with the two brothers holding out their swords and the miko steadying an arrow on her bow. "Although you may think otherwise," she calmly begins, "I am not here to do battle with any of you. My intentions are quite the opposite."

Inu-Yasha tightens the grip on his Tetsusaiga, light wisps of wind now beginning to circulate around it. "Really? Cause I thought that tornado you just shot at us was a really good reason to fight!"

The wind witch continues to smirk at him, opening her fan back up and fanning herself lightly. "I have given you far too much credit than you deserve," she begins, her deep crimson eyes flashing dangerously for a moment. "With all those muscles you use to fight, you've never gained any of the most important muscle, the one in your exceptionally thick head."

The inu hanyou growls at Kagura, taking a step forward while lowering his sword slightly. Sesshô-maru, on the other hand, sheathes his Tokijin, curious as to what the youkai before him has to say. "Well you have our attentions," he smoothly begins, "so speak. I can sense no malicious intent from you at the moment. Be forewarned, we will not tolerate any misbehavior on your part." He nods at his younger brother and he, quite begrudgingly sheathes his sword as well, quickly sitting on the ground and crossing his arms.

Kagura looks the inu youkai up and down, an odd look in her eyes. "Well now, beauty and brains," she purrs. "Now _you_ have exceeded all of my expectations and then some!" She seductively walks around him, tracing a finger along his armor in front and his long silver hair in back. As she makes her way back to the front of him, a blade with a strong youkai aura suddenly appears on her neck, halting the wind witch in her tracks. Her eyes slowly travel up the length of the sword, all the way up to its owner's sharp gold eyes.

"Tell me why you have come here," Sesshô-maru starts in a cold sounding voice, "and stop playing games or I will kill you."

The reincarnation of Naraku pouts slightly. "Well you're no fun." She pushes the sword down and walks back in front of the small group. "Though we are by no means friends, we all have a common adversary in Naraku. Though now I may be free from his control, I can never be truly free of him until he is dead and his twisted heart has beaten his last beat."

Kikyo, who has put her bow and arrow away, steps forward next to Inu-Yasha and places a comforting hand on top of his head. "Then what do you propose?"

"A truce…of sorts. We all wish for his demise so I am proposing that we join together and form an alliance against Naraku."

Inu-Yasha snorts at Kagura's response, not quite believing his ears. He stands up and walks away, muttering under his breath about her being untrustworthy and she'll turn on them, since she did say that she wanted to kill him earlier shortly after the battle with Naraku. Both Kikyo and Sesshô-maru stay in their spots. As Inu-Yasha passes Rin, the young girl smiles and waves innocently at him. Despite being quite frustrated, the inu hanyou can't help but crack a small smile at her. He walks up to her and ruffles the top of her head, getting her to giggle slightly. He kneels down in front of her, asking, "Are you hungry?"

Rin nods enthusiastically, bouncing up and down on her feet. With another smile, Inu-Yasha stands back up and begins to walk off towards the forest, motioning at Rin to follow him. The young girl rushes over to him, reaching up and taking his hand. The hanyou stops in his tracks and looks down at the tiny hand that is grasping his. He tries to get her to let go, not wanting to show off his softer side, but the little girl has an amazingly stubborn grip and he is unable to get her to let go. With a shrug and a light sigh, he continues to walk off in search of food, Rin right by his side.

Kikyo turns away from the wind witch to see what Inu-Yasha is doing, and feels her heart warm at watching him walk off, hand in hand with young Rin. 'He is changing again,' she thinks to herself. 'I can feel it.' She turns back around to face Kagura, her cool mask back on. "How can we be sure that you will not attempt to betray us? Free or not, you were made from Naraku, and like it or not, it does not make you thought of as a trustworthy youkai."

"You proposed something similar with me not too long ago as I recall," Sesshô-maru adds, his sharp gold eyes carefully watching the female in front of him and judging her actions, "You wished for me to destroy Naraku and in turn you would give me the Shikon Jewel. I rejected your proposition then, so what makes you think I will change my stance now?"

Kagura's smile widens slightly. "But haven't you already? I believed you and Inu-Yahsa despised one another, but now I see the two of you traveling and fighting together."

Kikyo looks back and forth between the two youkai, not quite sure what to think of the situation. 'I had not expected those two to have a history with one another,' she thinks to herself. 'I wonder exactly what happened.'

"That is true," the inu youkai responds, nodding slightly, "but things have…changed between Inu-Yasha and myself. I had always thought of him as a weakling with that human blood coursing through his veins…"

"…And the fact that he changes into a full human when the moon disappears from the night sky," the wind witch adds in with a smile, much to the surprise of her two possible allies in front of her.

The reincarnated miko takes a step forward, her face adopting an angry expression. "How did you come upon this information? Does Naraku know of this?"

Kagura's smile suddenly fades, being replaced by a look of disgust. "I am sure he knows that Inu-Yasha changes into a human, but he does not know when. I did not reveal when his transformation takes place and I never had any intentions to do so."

"How can we trust you?" Kikyo asks.

"You cannot," comes the response from the reincarnation of Naraku. "It is that simple. I know that none of you shall trust me, so I will not try to reason with you." She suddenly shivers uncomfortably. "I much rather prefer Inu-Yasha's changed form than Naraku's. It was…exceptionally grotesque. I feel ill at the knowledge that I came from that monster." She sighs and looks away. "I was born…created into a life of servitude and pain. I was forced to be his lap dog, an expendable pawn in his twisted game. He did not care for me, for he cares for nothing but himself. All of his dirty work he made me carry out …I can never be forgiven for what I have done, but I had no choice. I wanted to live, and for that I did what I had to do." She looks back to the youkai and miko, sheer determination in her eyes. "I have stated my reasons for despising Naraku and whether you let me join you or not, I will see to it that he is destroyed once and for all."

Sesshô-maru looks over to Kikyo and turns slightly, catching her eye. He tilts his head towards where Inu-Yasha and Rin entered the forest and she curtly nods, following after them. The inu youkai slowly walks up to Kagura, his sharp eyes boring into her deep crimson ones. "I have decided to allow you to accompany us for the time being, but I warn you now, if I even suspect something is amiss with your intentions, I will kill you without a moments hesitation."

Kagura smiles as she reaches up and places her hand on his cheek, the mysterious look back in her eyes. "I expected no less from you."

**_oooooo _**

Some distance away, Kagome and the rest of the group have made their way back to Kaede's village, the young woman from the future intent on going back home for a couple days to attempt to do some schoolwork and also bring back some fresh supplies. She sits down at the edge of the old Bone Eater's Well, swinging her legs inside. She tilts her head back towards her friends, a light smile on her face. "Well I going back home now," she begins, "so I'll see all of you in a couple of days."

Shippô leaps up and hugs Kagome as tight as his tiny arms can. "Come back soon…and bring back some of those delicious sweets!" he adds with his large, pleading eyes.

The young woman from the future giggles while wrapping her arms around the little kitsune. "I will." She lets go and he hops back off of her, landing next to Miroku and Sango.

Koga walks up to Kagome and takes her hand, squeezing it softly. "I'll miss you my mate." He leans in for a kiss. His lips are just about to touch hers when, at the last moment, Kagome turns her head to the side so the ookami kisses her cheek instead of her lips. After the kiss, Koga backs up, a slightly confused look on his face. He is about to say something when the young woman hops into the well, going back to her own time.

Miroku and Sango share a brief, knowing look with one another before turning around and heading back to the village, Kirara and Shippô following behind them.

The ookami youkai stands rigidly still, staring at the spot his beloved Kagome was just sitting. 'She's been acting funny lately,' he thinks to himself. He leans forward so he can stare down into the well's dark nothingness, his hands placed onto the wooden edge. 'Kagome…why are you pushing me away?' A deep growl rumbles in his throat as a sudden thought comes to him. "Inu-Yasha," he snarls, gripping the edge of the well so tightly that it splinters into pieces, "it's all your fault! Without you around, Kagome wouldn't think of you all the time now instead of me!" He stands up, looking to the sky. "I can't take it anymore! I'm her mate and she thinks of _him_ more!" He cracks his knuckles menacingly. "There's only one thing to do…" and with that, he rushes off, a large trail of dust following him.

**_oooooo _**

Kagome pulls herself out of the well in her time, groaning a bit as she does so. The last few days in the feudal era has been very taxing on her, both physically and emotionally. The feelings she thought she didn't have for Inu-Yasha anymore have sprung back into her in full, so much so that she barely has the heart to look her mate Koga in his bright blue eyes without wanting to burst into tears. With another groan, she hoists up her yellow backpack from inside the well, which is still heavy due to all the schoolbooks stuffed inside of it.

A few minutes later, she opens the door to her house and shouts, " Mom! Grandpa! Sota! I'm home!"

"Welcome home dear," Mrs. Higurashi cheerily greets as she walks in from the kitchen, wiping her hands with a dishtowel. She gives her daughter a quick hug before walking up the stairs. "I'll set up a nice hot, soothing bath for you Kagome. Dinner will be ready in a couple of hours and I just went shopping yesterday so there are plenty of snacks in case you want something right now." She is momentarily surprised as Kagome rushes up to her and wraps her arms around her in a tight hug.

"You're the greatest mom," the young woman mumbles, happy to be back home, if only for a little while.

Her mother giggles slightly while returning the hug. "Oh, Kagome, you can be so silly sometimes." With a kind hearted smile, Mrs. Higurashi turns back around and goes upstairs to prepare the bath.

Kagome watches her mother for a few moments before going into the kitchen, intent on getting a small bite to eat. She opens the door to the refrigerator and pulls out a large red apple, a soft smile on her face. She stares at the apple for a few moments, its color reminding her of a certain inu hanyou. 'I wonder what you're doing right now Inu-Yasha,' she thinks to herself. 'Are you…thinking of me?'

**_oooooo_**

Koga comes to a screeching halt at the edge of a steep cliff overlooking a vast expanse of forests. He kneels down and scans over the endless green. 'That mutt-face was heading off in this direction the last time I saw him,' he thinks to himself. He leans his head forward and sniffs in a big whiff of air, the scents of everything ahead of him coming in clearly. One scent in particular causes him to growl loudly. "Gotcha Inu-Yasha," he mumbles before charging down the cliff, moving so fast that to any normal creature, he appears to only be a blur. "You're gonna pay for taking my Kagome away from me!"

**_oooooo _**

"Tell me," Sesshô-maru calmly begins, "what do you plan to do once Naraku is destroyed and you are completely free from him?"

Kagura looks to the side, her face adopting an unsure expression. "I…I do not know."

The inu youkai smirks ever so slightly. "So you have been dreaming of being free for some time now, yet you boast no thoughts as to what you will do when the time arises." At the wind witch's uncomfortable reaction, he shakes his head. "I had expected no less, considering you are a female." He raises a speculative eyebrow as the winds around him suddenly increase, causing his clothing and hair to whip around back and forth. A sharp cry of "Dance of the Dragon" is heard just before a tornado slowly rises from the ground, surrounding Sesshô-maru, though he manages to keep his feet firmly planted onto the ground.

"You had best watch that tongue of yours around me," Kagura hisses, her eyes narrowed dangerously as she holds her fan out in front of her, "or else I will be forced to remove it."

The youkai lord shakes his head and calmly walks forward and passes through the tornado, as if it doesn't even exist. He watches as the 'spawn' of Naraku stumbles back, her eyes widening in surprise. "Did you even think for a second that your weak youkai powers could do any harm to one as powerful as I?" He continues his stride forward, making Kagura stumble back some more.

"My powers are not weak," she defiantly states, though she is beginning to become unsure. 'How did he walk through my Dance of the Dragon?' she thinks to herself. 'Is he telling the truth? Am I…weak?'

"Yes, they are," he coolly replies, still advancing upon her. "Your powers are weak because _you_ are weak. I have watched you battle, and you allow your emotions to become a factor, that is your downfall. When you attack with your emotions, you become weak and predictable." Sesshô-maru comes to a stop just mere inches from the wind witch. He reaches over and grasps her under her chin, lifting her face up so she is looking directly at him. "If you can learn to block of your emotions so they will not surface, you can become invincible."

As Kagura gazes into Sesshô-maru's emotionless golden eyes, she suddenly understands what he is saying. "Show me," the wind witch begins, her eyes now burning with determination.

The inu youkai releases the woman in his hand and steps back, a small smirk breaking out. 'She is more clever than I anticipated,' he thinks. 'This shall prove to be…most entertaining.'

**_oooooo _**

Inu-Yasha and Rin emerge into a large clearing with a sparkling pond right in the middle. The young girl releases the hanyou's hand and rushes into the pond, hiking up her clothes slightly so as to not get them wet. She splashes around the shallow area, giggling while she does so.

The inu hanyou sits down at the water's edge and watches the child with a wistful expression, remembering his own childhood, and how difficult it had been for him. 'If only mom hadn't of died,' he sadly thinks, his dog-ears drooping in remembrance of the day she passed on. His thoughts are interrupted as some water splashes onto him. Inu-Yasha looks up to see Rin giggling madly at him, her hands covering her mouth. With a large smirk, he leaps into the pond, splashing the young girl as she splashes back, the two relishing the carefree moment.

Kikyo watches on from behind a nearby tree, smiling at the scene before her. 'I never knew he was good with children,' she mildly thinks. 'He will make a good father someday.' Her mind wanders back fifty years, back to when she was going to use the sacred Shikon Jewel to change Inu-Yasha into a full human. She was so in love with him that she was willing to give up her life as a miko and become a normal woman…living her life together with the man she so loved. "If had not been for Naraku," she mutters out loud, "my dream would have become a reality and Inu-Yasha and myself would have been together." The beautiful young woman places a hand over her belly. "I would have been proud to have carried his children." A light gasp escapes her as a hand gently rests onto her shoulder. She quickly turns her head to see Inu-Yasha looking down at her, a warm smile gracing his features. "Inu…Inu-Yasha…" she trails off as his hand moves down her arm and then comes to a stop on her belly, right over her hand.

"Kikyo," he softly whispers into her ear, pulling her close to him, "I…I woulda liked to have started a family with you."

The miko feels warm tears form in her eyes at the hanyou's confession. She turns around and leans up, catching his lips with hers in a gentle, loving kiss. After a few moments, a small gasp followed by the sounds of someone small running away forces the two of them to stop what they are doing. Inu-Yasha and Kikyo walk back towards the pond and see Rin sitting down near its edge, a heavy blush on her face while she avoids looking at the two before her. The young woman walks to the girl, a soft smile on her face. She kneels down in front of her and places a hand on her shoulder. "Do not feel embarrassed at what you just witnessed little one," she says in a calm, assuring voice.

"Rin is sorry for watching," she meekly replies, still avoiding looking the miko in the eye. She yelps out in surprise as she is suddenly lifted into the air and held up by Kikyo.

The miko pulls the Rin in closer, still smiling. "You have nothing to apologize for, for you did nothing wrong."

"Yeah," Inu-Yasha agrees, walking up next to them, "this sorta stuff happens all the time with other people who really like each other…I guess," he adds with a confused shrug, getting giggles from both girls. He smirks as well, but suddenly frowns as his dog ears pick up the sounds of something approaching them…fast. He turns around and narrows his eyes as he spots a small tornado quickly coming his way. "Kikyo, take Rin and go," he mutters, reaching down and grasping the hilt of his Tetsusaiga.

"Inu-Yasha," the miko begins, "what is going on?" It is now that she notices the approaching small twister in the distance. Nodding once to her beloved, Kikyo hurriedly makes her way to the trees with the young girl in her arms, who is currently unsure as to what is going on. After they are in several feet, the miko places Rin down and kneels down to face her. "Now I want you to stay behind the trees while I assist Inu-Yasha, okay?" The little girl nods slightly, a twinge fear beginning to show. Kikyo pats her on the head gently with a reassuring smile. "Do not worry, nothing will happen to us, I promise, just remain unseen and everything will be fine."

Rin smiles back and nods again. "Okay, Rin will hide and wait for you!" She suddenly leans in and embraces Kikyo quickly before hiding behind a tree and some bushes.

The miko smiles again before turning around and rushing back to Inu-Yasha to see what the problem is. She arrives just in time to see the small tornado suddenly vanish sever yards from her beloved, revealing a very angry looking youkai who instantly goes into a battle stance.

Inu-Yasha notices this and unsheathes the Tetsusaiga, transforming it into its true form. "What do you want Koga?" he shouts. "I've got nothing against you anymore! You've already got Kagome now so what more do you want?"

"Just one more thing mutt-face," the ookami growls menacingly, "your head!" And with that, he charges, intent on taking the life of his rival, intent on taking the life of his rival.

**To be continued…**  
  
**_oooooo_**  
  
**Author's notes**: Heh, man I suck at constant updates now don't I? I can keep on apologizing until I'm blue in the face…and my fingers fall off, but that won't really change anything now won't it? Like I've mentioned before in my last updates in other stories, I guess I overstepped my own potential and worked on too many stories at once, hence burning myself out and making good ideas and continuous updates excessively difficult. I never post a story until I'm satisfied that it's to the best of its potential. Call me anal, but that's just how I feel. I don't want you the readers and reviewers to read any of my stories that are sub-standard compared to what they can be.

On Inu-Yasha news, as I've been watching new episodes on Cartoon Network, I've been integrating some new situations into my stories, as most of you have probably noticed. I'm hoping it can work out for the best, and for your enjoyment.

Like I said before, I've been slowly gathering back the thoughts and ideas that helped me to churn out stories at a good pace. Hopefully things can get moving along faster soon, but only time can truly tell. Until then… -- _lighthawkdemon_


	11. Reunion

**Inu-Yasha  
****A Feudal Fairy Tale**

_Disclaimer: This episode of Inu-Yasha is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Inu-Yasha. "Inu-Yasha" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1998-2006 Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. Inu-Yasha is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc. All rights reserved._

**A Change of Heart  
Scroll Eleven:  
Reunion**

Inu-Yasha leaps aside as Koga throws a powerful punch intended for him, a small crater forming where the youkai's fist lands. "Hey! What's the big idea?" the young hanyou complains while jamming his Tetsusaiga into the ground and giving the ookami in front of him a disgruntled look. "You got no reason to attack me anymore so why don't you just leave me the hell alone?"

"I'm not done with you yet Inu-yasha!" Koga shouts, his entire body shaking with rage. "Its because of you that my Kagome's losing interest in me…her own mate!"

"What the hell are ya yappin about?"

The youkai growls loudly as he tries to stay calm enough to answer. "I don't know what's goin' on, but she's been pushing herself away from me lately, and it started right about the time we bumped into you and your dead miko." He begins to crack his knuckles one by one. "I'm getting pretty sick and tired of you always gettin' in the way for my Kagome…even after I've marked her as mine!"

That last comment brings up an old spark of anger in the hanyou, the painful memory of finding out the truth and seeing them together still stinging him. He pulls his sword out of the ground and faces off against his formal rival. "Well," he growls, "if you really wanna fight so damn bad, then come here and fight me you bastard!"

* * *

Nearby up in the trees, Kikyo watches on with a good bird's eye view while cradling Rin in her arms. The young girl has suddenly become very afraid by the presence of the temperamental youkai whom Inu-Yasha seems to know. "What is wrong child?" the miko calmly asks, brushing aside some of the girl's hair from her eyes. "Why have you become so frightened?"

"I-I remember him," the young human shakily responds, looking down at Koga with frightened eyes. "He attacked the village I used to live in. He sent a bunch of ookami out and they killed everyone…and then they went after me." She curls up into a tight ball and Kikyo wraps her arms around her to help console her. "I ran as fast as I could, but they were too fast and they caught up and…and…" tears fill her eyes and she buries her face into the miko's white gi.

"I knew I recognized his scent from somewhere," a calm, cool voice says from below. The two in the tree look down and see Sesshô-maru calmly watching the battle between the youkai and his brother. "If I had not have been there to revive Rin with the Tenseiga, she would not be sitting in your lap at this current moment."

Kagura walks in next to the inu youkai, a hint of amusement on her face. "Well I did not realize what a big softie you are, bringing a human child back from the dead and letting her follow your every move. I am surprised that…" she never gets to finish as Sesshô-maru shoots her a sharp glare that makes her shiver, though it is not entirely in fear. The reincarnation of Naraku looks over to Inu-Yasha and his opponent, smiling slightly. "Koga, chieftain of the ookami youkai tribe, what an annoying nuisance."

Kikyo looks down from her spot in the tree, still cradling young Rin in her arms. "Your paths have crossed before?" She looks back at the surprisingly fast youkai, thinking, 'Koga…so he is the one who assisted in nearly destroying Inu-Yasha's will to go on living.'

"Several times," the wind witch answers with a definite distaste in her voice, her deep crimson eyes never leaving the current topic she is speaking about. "Shortly after I was 'born', Naraku sent me to his old keep to kill several of Koga's ookami brethren and then use their dead bodies to lure him in a trap with Inu-Yasha. They escaped and Koga has been on a never ending vendetta to kill Naraku ever since to avenge his brethren's unjust deaths. We have fought once or twice and he assuredly doesn't think too highly of me." She pauses for a moment as a dark look passes through her eyes. "While I was under his hold, Naraku had me watch over the young chieftain many times, occasionally drawing him in closer, then sending him off in the wrong direction. Naraku got a sick pleasure with 'toying' with all of his pawns." She shudders uncomfortably at the horrible memories of the evil hanyou she used to serve.

"If he does indeed have such a reason to despise Naraku and wishes him removed from this life," the only true full-blooded youkai in the group begins, "then why does he now battle with Inu-Yasha?"

* * *

Five hundred years in the future, Kagome lies down on her bed and lets out a sigh of content as her body sinks into it. The bath she just took helped to release some of the stress that has been building up inside her lately. The young woman closes her eyes and feels sleep start to take her when the doorbell downstairs rings quite loudly, hastily awakening her. With a loud sigh, she gets up off of her bed and shouts "I'll get it!" to her family downstairs.

She rushes down the stairs and opens the door. She is startled momentarily by the sight of her three friends Eri, Yuka and Ayumi on the other side, who all look just as startled as the young time traveler in front of them. "Kagome," Eri begins after blinking a few times, "wow…uh…we didn't expect to see you up and about, especially after that nasty bout of North European Chicken Pox."

"Yeah," she nervously chuckles while a large sweatdrop forms on the side of her head, "it pretty much went in and out of me. I'm feeling a lot better now."

Yuka claps her hands together with a large smile. "Oh that's great! We were planning on visiting you to see how you're doing and then go shopping afterwards, but since you're better now, do you wanna join us?"

"Uh…sure guys, just let me get my purse." The woman turns around and runs back up to her room and grabs her purse. With a quick glance in the mirror to make sure she is completely presentable to go outside, Kagome rushes back downstairs. "I'm going out for a bit!" she says towards the kitchen where her mother is busy cleaning.

"Okay dear," Mrs. Higurashi replies. "Have fun and be careful."

"I will."

* * *

Miroku, Sango and Shippô all sit down inside Kaede's hut, all three of them looking road weary and grateful to relax. Kirara walks up near the fire burning in the center of the hut and curls up into a ball, the warmth of the flames quickly putting the little nekomata to sleep. The houshi leans against the wall behind him while letting out a sigh. "I do not know about you guys, but I just cannot seem to fully put myself in our search for Shikon Jewel shards right now."

"Yeah," Shippô agrees, lying down on his back with bleary eyes. "It's just not the same anymore without Inu-Yasha with us. Koga's okay at times but I think he's too much of an idiot to be a good replacement." The two humans next to him both nod in agreement.

Keade chooses that moment to enter and she pauses as she looks at the small group before her. "My," she begins, "all of ye have such long faces. Has there been any word from Inu-Yasha?"

"We did get to seem him not too long ago," Sango replies while stretching her arms over her head, "but we were a little too busy fighting off the harpies and afterwards he left with Kikyo and Sesshô-maru before we could really say anything."

"Sesshô-maru?" the old miko questions while her good eye rose slightly. "Inu-Yasha's elder brother?" When the taijya nods she continues, "But I thought Inu-Yasha and his older brother were not on the best of terms?"

Shippô yawns loudly and stumbles his way next to the sleeping Kirara and lies down next to her. He mutters out, "So did we…" before passing out.

* * *

Koga easily dodges a rather sloppy swipe from Inu-Yasha, the ookami's anger continuing to grow, as well as his confusion. He leaps back several yards and places a hand on his hip in annoyance. "What's the deal!" he shouts, "there's no point in fighting you if you're not even gonna really fight me! I hate to admit it mutt-face, but I know you're better than this!"

Inu-Yasha growls slightly. "Well then why don't ya run off back to your pack with your tail between your legs like ya always do and stop wastin' my time?"

The thickheaded youkai, in an act of extreme stupidity, decides to invoke his rival's anger…and he knows one of his biggest sore spots. "You know, I think I know why Kagome left you for me." He pauses for a moment to smirk confidently. "She needed a real youkai, not some weak, pathetic half-breed who turns into an even more pathetic human on nights when the moon's not in the sky!" The last comment catches the attentions of everyone nearby just inside the forest. "She probably took one look at the weak human you become and has been thinking of a way to get away from you ever since." Koga's confident smirk slowly fades as he notices Inu-Yasha tightly gripping his sword, which now has strange whisps of wind swirling around it in a way that is making all of his hairs stand on end.

"So you wanna real fight with me?" the hanyou growls out, Koga's little rant reminding him of a nightmare he had shortly after reuniting with Kikyo, "then let's see how you like this!" He lifts his Tetsusaiga above his head and shouts out, "Wind Scar!" as his sword's second most powerful attack surges forward on a collision course with the ookami youkai.

Using the Shikon Jewel shards in each leg to their fullest extent, Koga leaps extraordinarily high into the air to dodge the attack. He grunts slightly as the attack passes by harmlessly below him. The full-blooded youkai lands on the now torn up ground, a deep growl rumbling in his throat. "Hey!" he shouts, "if that'd hit me it coulda killed me!"

He only gets a cold glare in response from Inu-Yasha. "That's the point."

* * *

Kikyo watches the fight between the loud ookami and her beloved in concern. "That fool. What does he think he can gain by arousing Inu-Yasha's anger?"

Kagura calmly fans herself though she silently agrees with the miko. 'This fight between those two fools is doing nothing but wasting valuable time and effort we could be using to hunt down Naraku,' she thinks to herself. 'Perhaps I would have made more progress if I had decided to do this alone instead of joining this colorful bunch.'

Down at the base of the tree, Sesshô-maru is looking quite bored. "I grow tired of this meaningless squabble." He reaches down and pulls out the Tokijin. "I too have an unsettled score to deal with this ookami." With half a glance up at Rin, he calmly walks out into the clearing, his sharp golden eyes watching both combatants closely. They both look at the youkai in confusion as he stands in between them. "This trifle fight has gone on for quite long enough." He turns towards Koga and points the Tokijin at him. "You there, ookami, state your reasons for attacking Inu-Yasha and slowing our progress."

"I'll tell you why," Koga growls, itching to dig his claws into his rival's body and tear him apart, "He's stealing my woman away from me…again!"

As Inu-Yasha snorts in amusement his brother's eyes narrow dangerously. "So that is the reason for all this nonsense? A wench?" He points his sword at Koga. "I am afraid that your fight with my dear little brother is to come at an end for I am your opponent now."

"W-W-What!" the ookami stammers out in surprise. "My fight's with Inu-Yasha, not you!" Though he's too proud to admit it, Koga has no intentions of fighting Sesshô-maru…ever. He's seen the inu youkai in action and he knows that if they were to fight and it were serious, he would not make it out without getting seriously injured…or possibly worse. "And besides," he adds, "I have no reason to fight you!"

"I disagree ookami," Sesshô-maru replies, his eyes narrowing just a fraction of a bit. "You and I have some unfinished business that I have passed off for far too long."

"Good," Inu-Yasha growls while sheathing his Tetsusaiga. "You go on and keep him busy for a while Sesshô-maru. I've got something I gotta take care of." He leaps over onto the tree that Kikyo and Rin are sitting on. "Kikyo," he starts while looking the miko directly in the eyes, "I gotta leave for a little bit to get rid of some unfinished business. I shouldn't be gone for too long, okay?"

Seeing the look in his amber eyes, the reincarnated woman nods once. "A-Alright Inu-Yasha…but please return soon."

With his patented smirk, the inu hanyou leans forward and captures the miko's lips in a brief yet meaningful kiss. "Ya know I will Kikyo."

* * *

The former guardian of the Shikon Jewel watches her beloved leave in quite a hurry, confusion and worry etched across her pretty features. 'Where is he rushing off to? Is this sudden departure connected to that ookami attacking him?'

In her arms, Rin also watches Inu-Yasha leave in confusion, her head tilted a bit to the side. She looks up and asks, "Why did Lord Sesshô-maru's brother leave?"

"I do not know Rin, but I assume it must be important for Inu-Yasha to leave during a battle. I have never known him to do such a thing."

Below them Kagura too keeps her deep crimson eyes glued to the hanyou she had for a time considered her enemy. Her curiosity continuously grows with each passing moment at his unorthodox actions. Ever since she took her heart back from Naraku she has truly been free for the first time in her entire existence. She has been absolutely relishing in the feel of it; to be able to do whatever she so desires without worrying about suffering any consequences for being disloyal. True she joined this merry little bunch but for the sole reason of having allies powerful enough to destroy Naraku once and for all. When that finally occurred she would most assuredly leave them and…and…well even she did not know what she would do.

For some reason…that pleased her greatly.

In the current, the wind witch lets her curiosity get the best of her. She backs away from the tree the deceased miko and little human child are resting in and while they all are distracted, she reaches into her hair and pulls out a white feather. In a gust of wind she is airborne on her giant feather, manipulating the wind towards her target and staying up high enough to keep her scent away from his sensitive nose.

Kagura keeps a close eye on Inu-Yasha from her bird's eye point of view as he rushes through the seemingly endless forest. She curiously tilts her head to the side, wondering just exactly what he is up to. After a short while the hanyou enters a clearing with an old wooden well straight ahead. He stops right in front of it and turns his head up at the reincarnation of Naraku and gives her a cheerful wave before leaping inside of the well.

The wind witch is completely startled. 'He…he knew I was following him?' her mind says. 'How did he know?' She lands onto the ground and walks up to the well while fanning herself. 'I made sure to keep up high enough to hide my scent…yet he knew I was following him.' She lets out a small smirk. "What an interesting character," she mutters under her breath, "but I wonder what is so important abut this old well?" She looks in it and to her surprise finds that the bottom is not so far down…but Inu-Yasha is nowhere to be found inside. "Increasingly curious." The wind witch leans down to get a better look inside the well when the inside starts to glow slightly.

Kagura backs away from the well and as she does the glowing fades away. 'Interesting reaction,' she thinks while reaching inside her kimono and pulling out a single shard of the Shikon Jewel. 'I wonder if it has anything to do with this jewel shard I stole from Naraku before I escaped?' She holds it up into the sunlight in admiration. 'I am quite surprised he did not notice me take it from him…and for that matter why that deceased miko did not comment on me holding one. I know both she and that other girl with the strange clothing can sense jewel shards so why did she not say anything?'

The reincarnation of Naraku shakes her head to clear herself of all those troublesome questions. "Those are thoughts for another time…but for now…" she walks towards the old Bone Eater's Well again with the Shikon Jewel shard firmly held in her grasp, "…my main interest is this odd little well and where Inu-Yasha has vanished to."

* * *

Kagome laughs merrily at a joke Yuka just told, feeling truly happy for the first time in days. The young time traveler and her three friends have just exited a clothing store in town, each of them carrying several bags of their purchases. Getting back to her own time and actually acting like a normal teenage girl turned out to be the best cure for her recent depression. "Hey guys look!" the young Higurashi suddenly says as she spots their favorite fast food spot, a WacDonalds, right across the street. "I'm a little hungry guys so why don't we go get a bite to eat. If you want something too I'll pay…huh?" she looks around as she notices that her three friends are nowhere around her.

"Hey Kagome!" a voice says from across the street. The young woman looks over and her shoulders slump at the sight of Eri, Yuka and Ayumi already across the street and waving at her. "You coming or what?"

Kagome sighs deeply, a giant swaetdrop forming on the back of her head. 'Maybe I shouldn't have said that I'd pay,' she thinks while hefting her bags across the street to join her friends. Unfortunately for her, paying for her friend's meal is the least of her problems at the moment…

* * *

Inu-Yasha leaps out of the ancient Bone Eater's Well, now in the Higurashi shrine in present times. He walks outdoors and heads straight to Kagome's room, still knowing where to go almost by instinct. The inu hanyou leaps up into her window that is conveniently open. Unfortunately the young woman is not in her room at the moment. He leans his face in and closes his eyes while sniffing the room. He allows a slight smile to escape him. 'I forgot how good Kagome's scent is,' he thinks to himself. 'Hmm…it's still pretty fresh so she might still be in the house.'

Kagome's door suddenly slams open and the startled hanyou loses his grip on the windowsill and crashes onto the floor. Sota stands in the doorframe, a large smile on his face. "Inu-Yasha!" he shouts, "you're back!" With impressive speed for such a small human, the young boy dashes over to the hanyou and wraps his arms around him in a tight hug.

"Hey Sota," Inu-Yasha greets, rubbing the top of the youngest Higurashi's head with a light smile. "Do ya know where Kagome's at? I really need to talk ta her."

The young boy scratches under his chin in thought. "I think she's out with her friends shopping. I don't know where really." He looks back up at the hanyou he thinks of as a bigger brother. "I missed you. You haven't been around here for a long time. Are you and my sister fighting again?"

The hanyou shifts his feet on the nice soft carpet uncomfortably. "Something like that," he mutters in a barely audible voice. He swiftly turns around and begins to climb back out the window. "Well I'm gonna go searchin' for her. I'll try to stop by later okay?" Sota nods in response with a large smile. "See ya later kid," Inu-Yasha says while leaping out of the window and landing at the front door. He falls to all fours and sniffs the ground a few times, finding Kagome's scent strong at her front door mixed with three others. All four scents lead off away from the house and the inu hanyou quickly followed after them.

* * *

"So Kagome," Eri begins between drinks of her soda, "tell us about your boyfriend. Have you made any progress with him?"

The young woman stops eating her fries, suddenly losing her appetite. "Um…we're sorta not together anymore," she muttered while fighting back the tears. 'Why do they have to ask now?' she thinks in despair. 'I was just starting to really enjoy myself!'

Ayumi sighs lightly and comments, "So he dumped you huh?" she lets out a squeak as Yuka pinches her leg with a disgruntled look.

"Well…not exactly," Kagome comments, wanting to discuss anything but the current subject. "Some…stuff happened but I really don't feel like talking about it right now okay guys?"

"Okay," the three of them sigh, always wanting to get in with the latest gossip.

Yuka suddenly looks up with a smile. "You know Kagome, now that you're single you can go out with Hojo! He constantly is asking about you…that guy's got it bad."

The young time traveler winced at the thought of the guy in this time who is infatuated with her and always bringing her gifts for her assorted 'illnesses'. "Well…" she hesitantly begins, "…I didn't say that I'm single now…I just said that Inu-Yasha and I aren't together right now."

"Whoa," Ayumi says while looking impressed, "you get done with one guy and toss him aside go right to another. Way to go Kagome!"

The current center of attention bangs her forehead onto the table in front of her. "Guys," she moans, "can you please just let it go? All I want do…" but she is distracted as all three of her good friends all gasp simultaneously. She looks up at them and sees that they are all staring at the entrance of the fast food restaurant.

She turns around and her eyes widen as she sets her sight on the one subject she was just trying to put off. "Inu-Yasha?"

* * *

Back inside the Higurashi shrine the inside of the well glows for a moment before a figure suddenly appears at the bottom. She around for a moment before commenting to herself, "Well that was interesting." She looks up and frowns slightly. "Hmm…it is dark already…odd."

She unfolds a fan in her hand and with a great gust of wind she lifts herself into the air but quickly crashes into the roof of the shrine. The woman lets out a yelp of pain and tumbles back down into the well in an unceremonious heap. "Damn it!" she shouts while getting to her feet and dusting herself off. "What the hell was that?" She looks up again and lets her eyes focus to the dark. "A roof?" the woman question aloud. "Where did this old well take me?"

She uses her fan to lift herself out of the well once more, this time heeding the roof above her head. The kimono clad woman looks about, her frown deepening at the unfamiliar surroundings. Within a few moments she sees the door and walks outside into the warm sunny day.

Kagura's deep crimson eyes widen as she takes in everything around her. Just down a few wooden steps lies several stones on a dirt path that lead to a building of sorts to her right, the likes of which the wind witch has never seen before. She takes several steps out and turns around to gaze at the wooden shrine the well is inside…as well as the larger shrine a short distance behind it.

What is bothering her the most is the…feel of this strange place she is currently located. It is as if everything if different…everything is changed somehow to the world she was created in. The winds move in a slightly erratic motion and the air itself feels…lighter and tastes dirty, like something has went and lightly poisoned the air…similar to Naraku's shouki but nowhere near as potent. Her ears take in strange sounds from somewhere below her and she lets her curiosity, which has already reached an all-time high, get the best of her. She pulls a white feather from her hair and is once more airborne on her enormous white feather. As Kagura floats higher and higher her breath catches in her throat at the sight before her.

More and more buildings of strange designs and shocking sizes litter the ground all ahead of her. The rest of the ground around the buildings are covered not with dirt and grass but what appears to be incredibly flat stones that stretch on as far as the eye can see with tall circular pieces of what appears to be metal jutting forth from the stones every which way. Humans are walking all about in every which way, each and every one of them covered in strange garments. What shocked her the most was the sight of what appears to be some fantastic design of sorcery…large metallic like objects that appear to be carrying humans inside moving about with no horses or oxen to pull them along.

Kagura places a hand over her rapidly beating heart while her head pounds from the overflow of new sights, sounds and smells. "Wh…Where am I!"

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Author's notes**: Holy friggin' crap! It's been a long ass time since I updated this fic! Truthfully it didn't even feel that long because I've always been busy between writing a bunch of my other stories and going out with friends. I've been getting into drinking lately so my nights haven't been as productive ;P. As you can tell I have been getting back to writing and updating at a much faster pace than I have been lately. I've been trying to get back into my older fics and getting at least one new story in to make myself happy. I've finally updated both Inu-Yasha fics and now I'm going to move onto my Tenchi 'Darkness' series once more. I'm very close to completing 'The Prelude to Darkness' and it's looking awesome! As for the other Tenchi stories…I'm going to go through them again and try to work on new chapters but it's going to be tough. I've seen the first three episodes of the new OAV and those have helped to inspire me to continue on.

As for Love Hina, I'm trying to work on all of those as well. 'Different Promises' and 'Uncontrolled Passions' are going well but I'm having trouble working on 'Family Affairs'. I'm always up for comments and views on what you think should happen between Haruka and Keitaro so e-mail away. I'm churning out the newest chaps for both my Naruto and Negima! fics. I'm working a bit on my Ranma ½ story and I have a nice little one-shot in the works and I'm also getting some work done on my X-Men: Evolution fics too. Just stay patient as usual my dear readers. – _lighthawkdemon_

Questions or comments? E-mail me at: **lighthawkdemon** (at) **Y!**


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